Exploring the process by which positive racial identity develops and influences academic performance in Black youth: Implications for social work

Although racial-ethnic socialization and racial-ethnic identity interlink to influence youth's developmental outcomes, the extant research has tended to investigate these constructs and their effect on youths’ outcomes separately. We therefore used path analysis to investigate the interrelationships between prominent racial-ethnic socialization and racial-ethnic identity constructs in one model to ascertain whether when considered simultaneously they have direct and/or mediated effect associations with the academic performance of African-American youths. Participants were drawn from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study. Findings reveal that parenting practices that expose youths to racial/cultural heritage of African-Americans, in tandem with those that alert youths to potential discrimination and strategies to respond, may influence youths’ racial-ethnic identity domains. These racial-ethnic identity domains in turn shape one another in a complex way to positively predict academic performance. Implications for social work research and practice are discussed

Racialized Healthcare Inequities Dating to Slavery

Racism experienced by African Americans has been linked to several chronic illnesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a light on the reality of long denied or ignored racism, including in healthcare, and a historical review of racism in medicine is important. A critical historical review helps reveal potential resources by which African Americans have endured, resisted, and thrived despite racism's unrelenting pernicious effects on black communities. This essay documents the Black Church as a spiritual and healing resource since slavery

Alternative to Zero Tolerance Policies and Out-of-School Suspensions: A Multi-tiered Centered Perspective

Although zero-tolerance policies were created to foster safe school environments for student engagement and performance, the implementation of these policies has inadvertently resulted in the exclusion of millions of students through suspension and expulsion. Students of color, African-Americans in particular, disproportionately experience these exclusionary practices. This article examines the disproportionate negative effects of school discipline under the era of zero-tolerance policies. We first examine school discipline in a historical context. Second, we introduce and describe critical race theory and its relevance for understanding racialized school discipline. We conclude with implications for social workers to engage schools, African-American students, and their families, and advocate for school policies to create safe and equitable school environments that promote learning, in a culturally and racially responsive manner

Examining the Relationships between Racial-Ethnic Socialization, Racial Identity, and African American Youth’s Academic Outcomes: An Analysis with Implications for Social Work Research, Practice and Policy

Compared to their counterparts, African American youth on the average, are significantly disadvantaged in the American Public K-12 education. Examination of the resources, and processes that are key to educational success suggests that African American youth underachievement may potentially be driven by disparities in access to opportunities, and processes at multiple levels of their educational experience. While the vast majority of the research has documented and hypothesized about the problem and the causes of underachievement in Black youth, few have focus on identifying culturally relevant resources within the African American families and communities to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for these youth especially in social work. In response, the current study employed path analysis, and data from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study (MADICS) to examine culturally protective and compensatory factors (racial socialization and racial identity) in African Americans, and the mechanisms by which they operate to influence healthy psychosocial adjustment and academic performance. The findings, which revealed previously unexplored mechanisms by which various structures of racial identity reinforce each other, suggest that race-based messages and practices related to the racial/cultural heritage of African Americans in combinations with practices that alert youth to potential discrimination and the strategies to deal with them hold some positive gains in developing positive sense of self that foster healthy psychosocial adjustment and academic performance in Black youth. Additionally, this study highlights the content, the structure, and the processes by which racial identity as a source of strength may be cultivated, transformed, and maintained. Social workers and related disciplines in the applied field stand to foster strength in Black youth if they incorporate racial-ethnic socialization, and advocate for opportunities that support youth’s exploration, development, and commitment to and affirmation of positive racial identity with the strategies to help them live out such identity

A Gardening Metaphor: A Framework for Closing Racial Achievement Gaps in American Public Education System

The overarching purpose of this article is to introduce A Gardening Metaphor (AGM) as an evolving framework for accelerating the closure of racial achievement gaps in America. Toward this end, we provide: (a) an examination of the racial disparities in education that are disproportionately experienced by Black children; (b) a rationale for why racial achievement gaps must be closed; (c) an introduction to components of AGM; and (d) discussion of AGM gap closing potential through case study with implication for research and practice

Fostering Higher Academic Performance in African American Youth Through Enhanced Self-Efficacy: The Importance of Integrated Racial-Ethnic Identity

Although the dimensions that constitute racial-ethnic identity (REI) interrelate to affect psychosocial and academic outcomes, few studies have explored the nature (e.g., directionality) of these interrelations in understanding a strong and healthy REI among African American youth in relation to psychosocial and academic outcomes. In the current study, we applied path analysis to investigate the potential mediation effects of private regard in translating the effects of racial centrality and public regard to affect African American youth’s academic performance through self-efficacy. Using a nationally representative sample of African American youth, findings suggest that racial centrality and public regard correlate to affect private regard, controlling for neighborhood safety and sociodemographic backgrounds. Private regard in turn, associated with self-efficacy to affect academic performance measured by GPA. These results indicate the need to investigate the potential mediation effects among REI dimensions to understand the nuanced pathways REI dimensions configure to form a strong and healthy REI to affect psychosocial and academic outcomes among African American youth

Exploring the Independent and Interactive Effects of Political Identification and Moral Foundations in Perceiving Threats from Latino Immigrants in the United States

This study explored the independent and interaction effect of political identification and moral foundations on perceived threats from Latino immigrants. Two hundred and eight adult Americans were recruited from the Amazon Turk Platform, 187 of whom completed the survey questions. On average, conservative participants reported higher realistic perceived threats from Latino immigrants in comparison with liberals. Consistent with prior work, multivariate regression analyses indicate that liberals at the superficial level were less likely to perceive a threat from Latino immigrants compared with conservatives. However, when political orientation/identification interacted with moral foundation, a nuanced picture emerged that contradicts the claim that liberals are more likely to be tolerant of immigrants. Negative associations between perceived threats from Latino immigrants and moral values rooted in harm and justice were observed. Finally, interaction effects suggest that efforts that foster moral values rooted in harm and fairness may reduce the perception of threat, regardless of political orientation, from Latino immigrants in the US

Structural Racism, Workforce Diversity, and Mental Health Disparities: A Critical Review

This article is made available for unrestricted research re-use and secondary analysis in any form or be any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for the duration of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.Racial workforce diversity has been suggested as a critical pathway to address persistent racial mental health disparities. However, structural racism has been noted to diminish such workforce diversity efforts. The purpose of this critical review is to identify the mechanisms through which structural racism operates in organizations, including mental health organizations, to undermine workforce diversity efforts and reinforce inequities

Advancing Equity-Based School Leadership: The Importance of Family–School Relationships

This narrative inquiry study presents the stories of five urban public school principals who continually enact and engage in praxis around school/family engagement as their social justice and equitable practices. The findings focus on how participants conceived and engaged in parent interaction: (1) the power of relationships, (2) resistance toward deficit thinking of parents and/or families, and (3) connecting their work with families to equity. An equity-based parent engagement model was developed on how the school leaders employ the power of relationships to engage parents, what participant interpreted their trusting relationship with parents reciprocated to them, and why they prioritize positive relationships with racially and ethnically diverse and economically disadvantage families. Overall, the findings extend emerging empirical research on the role of school leadership in effective parent engagement practice from an equity standpoint

The Role of Social Work Education in Fostering Empowerment of People of African Descent: The Significance of the History of Slavery and Colonialism

Both historical and contemporary accounts suggest that Africa has been and continues to be a significant player in global affairs through its supply of valued resources in the form of human capital, rich cultural heritage and mineral resources, including gold, diamond, oil, and vast lasnd mass. Indeed, the tremendous resources (both human and natural) and opportunities that Africa and its people possess are what attracted European powers to the continent for exploitation through slavery and colonization. Although, in theory, African countries have achieved independence, the process of geopolitical retreat of European or Western control of African states, has failed to achieve decoloniality in Africa and among descendants of Africa. Guided by empowerment and strength perspective, the chapter applies observations and critical dialog to contend that for an empowering and transformative social work education and practice in Africa and with African descents to occur, the history and narratives around transatlantic slavery trade (TST) and colonialism need to be a critical component of the discourse of social work education and practice