The mental health and societal issues that encompass the African American community have inspired me to pursue a Master’s degree in community psychology. When I was 11 years old, I became a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). My encounters with this association opened my eyes to matters with which I am still enthralled by today. These matters include the social, educational, and political events that African-Americans face on a daily basis. During my youth, I would contemplate why there were constant instances of crime, violence, and disparity in Black communities. As I got older, I began to notice how these issues were affecting communities physically, mentally and emotionally. I became concerned …show more content…
For my senior thesis research, I examined the relationship of African self-consciousness and psychological well-being in college students of African descent. I found that these participants had very high levels of African self-consciousness, however, they displayed low levels of psychological well-being. An understanding of Black cultural identity, heritage, and experiences that sustained Black life were revealed as factors that contributed to a high level of African self-consciousness. This suggests that students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) tend to have higher African self-consciousness because they have been immersed in their history and culture. The atmosphere at HBCUs allows the students to feel embraced and accepted for who they are, without apology. I presented a poster on these findings at the Association of African Black Psychologists Student Circle conference, emphasizing that efforts should be directed towards educating African Americans about their cultural identity and the benefits of being in tune with yourself …show more content…
Additionally, I hope to develop a private practice where I am providing counseling and support to African Americans with mental illnesses. It would be designed as a haven where individuals may feel comfortable speaking out about their life experiences. My desire is to provide clients with education on how to cope with their illnesses, heal old wounds, and resolve issues so that counseling will no longer be needed. Likewise, I want to educate their families on how to support and care for their loved ones that suffer from mental health illnesses. The haven will allow clients to feel comfortable to receive the psychological assistance they may
While growing up in the midst of a restrictive world, education becomes the rubicon between a guileless soul and adulthood. In the excerpt from W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk, Du Bois provides a roadmap for African Americans to discover and understand themselves through the pursuit of knowledge, self-awareness, and authenticity. The excerpt is a significant part of the essay because it also speaks for the modern day pursuit of knowledge, self-awareness, and authenticity, an indispensable path into finding one’s self.
Throughout, the documentary one can come to the conclusion that most of these African- Americans who live in this area are being judged as violent and bad people. However this is not the case, many of them are just normal people who are try...
Everyone is raised within a culture with a set of customs and morals handed down by those generations before them. Most individual’s view and experience identity in different ways. During history, different ethnic groups have struggled with finding their place within society. In the mid-nineteen hundreds, African Americans faced a great deal of political and social discrimination based on the tone of their skin. After the Civil Rights Movement, many African Americans no longer wanted to be identified by their African American lifestyle, so they began to practice African culture by taking on African hairdos, African-influenced clothing, and adopting African names. By turning away from their roots, many African Americans embraced a culture that was not inherited, thus putting behind the unique and significant characteristics of their own inherited culture. Therefore, in an African American society, a search for self identity is a pervasive theme.
Cokley, Kevin. "The Impact of College Racial Composition on African American Students' Academic Self-Concept: A Replication and Extension." Journal of Negro Education 71.4 (2002): 288-96. JSTOR. Web.
Clearly, HBCUs provide several benefits to African-American students. Not only have they helped to combat the cycle of discrimination that minority students experienced before the civil rights initiatives of the 1960s, but they strive to provide a warm, supportive and inclusive academic environment that addresses African-American college students as a whole person. Additionally, HBCUs are increasing their efforts to ensure that higher education is accessible, affordable and achievable for individuals with unique socioeconomic challenges. Despite obstacles, historically Black institutions will continue to play a vital and significant role in the fabric of higher education.
Earlier in the semester we watched a video over Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy DeGruy. This video was inspiring for people to look at what has happened in our history and society. This has been a major social injustice to African-Americans for so long, and it is now time that it needs to be confronted. People are often confused about why some people get upset about the way African-Americans react to some things, it is because they never had the opportunity to heal from their pain in history. In the article “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome,” it is talked about how racism is, “a serious illness that has been allowed to fester for 400 years without proper attention” (Leary, Hammond, and Davis, “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome”). This is
While overall college enrollment and graduation rates have risen for all minority groups, there continues to be concerns for this segment of the population, particularly for African American students. Even though there have been significant increases in enrollment and graduation figures over the past several decades, issues concerning retention persist. About 30 percent of African Americans who enroll in college drop out prior to degree completion (Rye, 2009). This is further documented by Museus (2011) who reports that less than one-half of minority students who begin college at a 4-year institution achieve a degree within 6 years. This is significant since college retention has been linked with both self-efficacy and future academic success (Brittain, Sy, & Stokes, 2009).
The aspect of African-American Studies is key to the lives of African-Americans and those involved with the welfare of the race. African-American Studies is the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding (Karenga, 21). African-American Studies exposes students to the experiences of African-American people and others of African descent. It allows the promotion and sharing of the African-American culture. However, the concept of African-American Studies, like many other studies that focus on a specific group, gender, and/or creed, poses problems. Therefore, African-American Studies must overcome the obstacles in order to improve the state of being for African-Americans.
Once again, showing the lack of attention or focus exclusively on African American youth. The underlying problems that continue to affect mortality rates among African Americans in inner cities are rooted in the lack of knowledge and government support. To remedy the mortality decline in the black community, it is equivocally important to understand their cultural heritage and provide a change in the communities that will be embraced and foster cultural change. The United States has an epidemic festering in the inner cities that, if not properly addressed, can destroy the fabric of a community and spread to other areas of society.
Sue, D. W., Capodilupo, C. M., & Holder, A. (2008). Racial microaggressions in the life experience of Black Americans. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39(3), 329.
"African American Communities and Mental Health." Mental Health America. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2014. .
Years of isolation due to their race, a subculture has developed that promotes violence, the selling of drugs, and public assistance as a source of income. Because it is vital for the inhabitants of this community to conform to its culture, little time is spent expanding upon their ability to socialize effectively enough to grow. Because of this social incompetence, awareness and access to the vital building blocks that make one successful are not easily obtain and require much effort. Therefore, the path of an African-American from “The Hood” to success is one less paved as the obstacles to reach success, as a contributing member of society, tends to outweigh the ease of
In the United States, its population consists of variety of races, ethnic and mixed groups including White Americans. Although the U.S is considered as a modern day melting pot country, White Americans are still considered the majority. Not only are they the majority in population, but they are also best known as the privileged population as well. Considering the diversity in the U.S, each person typically goes through a process of shaping their identity including White Americans. This process consists of experiences and influences from an individual, group and universal level. To be more in-depth regarding white racial identity development, the goal is to create an identity that is consistent of an individual’s increasing critical conscience
In a study conducted by Y. R. Chen, L.C. Masses, J.S. Phinney, A. Romero, R.E Roberts, and C.R Roberts (1999), examined whether ethnic identity was positively related to measures of psychology well-being, including self-esteem. A sample of 5,423 middle school students (83% between 12 and 14 yrs, 49% female, 51% male), were given a questionnaire to fill out at school. The three largest ethnic groups were African American (n=1,237), European American (n=755), an...
Harrison-Hale, A. O., McLoyd, V.C., & Smedley, B. (2004). Racial and ethnic status: Risk and protective processes among African-American families. Investing in children, families, and communities. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.