Journal of Black Psychology

There is an achievement gap in the United States, with African American students underperforming relative to their White and Asian American peers. At the same time, media portrayals of African Americans are often based on stereotypes that suggest intellectual inferiority. Despite the prevalence of racial stereotypes in the media, few studies have examined connections between media use and academic achievement among African American youth. Using data from a survey of 247 African American adolescents (72% female; mean age = 15 years), this project explored the potential consequences of media stereotypes on the academic performance, self-perceptions, and career interests of African American youth. Overall, the results suggest that media use contributes to lower academic performance, lower self-perceptions, and less interest in college-oriented careers. Parental involvement was a significant moderator of the relationship between television use and students’ career interests, with significant relationships only existing for those students whose parents were less involved in their media use. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for how parents and media socialize African American youth about their potential for academic success.

Evidence from previous studies indicates that racial discrimination is significantly associated with depression and that African Americans with higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES) report greater exposure to racial discrimination compared to those with lower SES levels. Coping strategies could alter the relationship between racial discrimination and depression among African Americans. This study first examined whether greater levels of SES were associated with increased reports of racial discrimination and ratings of John Henryism, a measure of high-effort coping, among African Americans. Second, we examined whether high-effort coping moderated the relationship between racial discrimination and depression. Data were drawn from the National Survey of American Life Reinterview (n = 2,137). Analyses indicated that greater levels of education were positively associated with racial discrimination (p < .001) and increased levels of racial discrimination were positively related to depression (p < .001), controlling for all sociodemographic factors. Greater levels of John Henryism were associated with increased odds of depression but there was no evidence to suggest that the relationship between discrimination and depression was altered by the effects of John Henryism.

Although the study of positive psychology has flourished in recent years, most research has focused on White samples. There is, however, a growing body of research examining cultural factors that may contribute to the psychological health and well-being of African Americans. The present study examined the associations between racial/ethnic identity, religious commitment, satisfaction with life, and meaning in a sample of African Americans (N = 199). Racial/ethnic identity was positively associated with satisfaction with life and meaning, and these associations were partially mediated by high religious commitment. We conclude by discussing implications for the findings and areas for future research.

This study investigated how second-generation Canadian youth of African and Caribbean heritage constructed racial, ethnic, and national identities and categories. Twenty-two participants aged 13 to 18 years of East and West African, and Caribbean background, were recruited from communities in the Greater Toronto Area to participate in four discussion groups. Discourse analysis was used to demonstrate the fluidity and negotiability of racial and ethnic identities and categories. Participants constructed the category of “Black” using historical, social, and descriptive references and in support of their identifications or lack thereof with this category. Categories associated with “ethnicity” and nationality were also constructed to support participants’ identifications, with some contradictory representations. Disagreements over category constructions were also present. The study highlights the performative, as opposed to cognitive, features of identities. It also brings attention to how flexible the characterizations of racial and ethnic labels can be and argues for researcher consideration of this flexibility in relation to their participants and to the social contexts of their research. Implications for research in Canadian contexts are also discussed.