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.
Black Power, the seemingly omnipresent term that is ever-so-often referenced when one deals with the topic of Black equality in the U.S. While progress, or at least the illusion of progress, has occurred over the past century, many of the issues that continue to plague the Black (as well as other minority) communities have yet to be truly addressed. The dark cloud of rampant individual racism may have passed from a general perspective, but many sociologists, including Stokely Carmichael; the author of “Black Power: the Politics of Liberation in America”, have and continue to argue that the oppressive hand of “institutional racism” still holds down the Black community from making any true progress.
Though social problems affect a wide variety of people from all races, classes, and cultures; minorities, specifically African Americans, encounter social problems on a multi-dimensional basis. Poverty, employment rates, discrimination, and other social problems strike African Americans in such a way that it is nearly impossible to separate them; each individual has different background, socially and physically, that would determine in which order his or her social problems need to be solved. Impoverished blacks in the inner city may have difficulty finding or keeping jobs, while others may have jobs, but face troubles with work discrimination that prevent them from moving upward .Underemployment, workplace inequalities, and unbalanced medical attention are three closely related social problems that, if ameliorated together, could increase upward mobility, decrease poverty levels, and tighten the lifespan gaps for not only blacks, but also other minority groups. The purpose of this paper is to show what effects these three problems have for blacks.
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
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. .
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.
Harriet Tubman once said, I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other. Throughout history the African American culture has constantly been fighting for rights and equality. But in doing so has been denied it. With this happening more and more over the years it seems to have caused them more than just physical pain when violence is added to the equation. It has caused PTSD. The African American community suffers from PTSD due to Racism, what is considered as today’s “lynchings”, and Police Brutality.
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).
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
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.
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...
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...