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Creating Community: Examining Black Identity And Space In New Guinea, Nantucket, Jared Muehlbauer

Graduate Masters Theses

In the late 18th century, the abolition of slavery through manumission initiated a period of enormous change in the lives of people of African descent living on Nantucket, MA. Newly free, people of color living on the island immediately began to establish families and purchase property. At the end of the 1700s, they founded the community of New Guinea, located on the southwestern edge of the town of Nantucket. Though enslavement had been abolished and the whaling industry brought economic opportunity to Nantucket, the people of New Guinea continued to experience evolving forms of racial inequality, discrimination, and violence. To …

Examining The Healthcare Journeys Of African American Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes Amid Covid-19, Lei Edmerson

Honors Theses

The overall purpose of this study is to explore the pandemic experience of African American’s with Type 2 Diabetes. This study was done to highlight a specific group of people who live with a chronic illness and the steps they took to ensure their safety during a pandemic. The COVID- 19 pandemic had been shown to adversely and disproportionately impact minorities and those with diabetes in regards to mortality rates. This study aims to bring light to the stories of those dealing with more than just the pandemic. It wanted to explore how they made it thus far, and if …

Why So Negative? Street Literature And Its Negative Effects On The African American Psyche, Lilly Lamia Simone

Theses (2016-Present)

Urban literature, more widely known as street lit is a genre of literature that glorifies and exaggerates drugs, violence, and sex in the lives of its African American characters. Through Street lit readers are introduced to the black man as a figure of power through illegal activity in his community, and black women as either overly aggressive or figures in need of protection. These novels choose loyalty over family, drugs, and athleticism over education, and money and power over morality. These novels and their glorifications cause African American people to see dream lives in goals that are not only unattainable …

The Psychosocial Experiences Of African American Sexual And Gender Minority Caregivers Of People With Dementia, Lakeva Harris

Doctoral Dissertations

Over 50 million people in the United States provide unpaid care to a family member or friend. One-third of these caregivers (16 million) provide care to someone with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Of these caregivers, more than 20% state caregiving has led to a decline in their health. African American caregivers are less likely to report being in very good or better health than their white caregiving peers. Similarly, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ) caregivers are more likely to report fair or poor health than their heterosexual, cisgender peers. The overlap of these minoritized identities may …

Understanding The African American Male Student Experience Of Being Diagnosed With Emotional Disturbance Through The Use Of Counter-Storytelling, Sara Ordaz

Doctoral Dissertations

In the U.S. educational system, it is too common to see African American males overrepresented in special education classrooms, including segregated special education settings. African American males continuously experience disproportionate representation and placement in special education, especially under the label of ED (Harry & Anderson, 1994). Twice as many African American students in the United States are receiving services for Emotional Disturbance than their White counterparts.

Students who are labeled with ED have the lowest educational outcomes as well as lower success rates in life than any other disability classification (Merrrell & Walker, 2004). The consequences of the ED label …

Developing A Therapeutic Alliance In Counseling African American Women Experiencing Domestic Violence, Andrea Kenney

Dissertations

African American women victims of domestic violence (DV) present with unique experiences, requiring counselors to possess multicultural competencies that can cultivate an alliance in which this cultural group feels comfort and trust in the therapeutic process. While there is an awareness of the complexities in counseling African American women who experience DV, gaps in research reveal a need for counselors to improve cultural competency and gain a contextual understanding of the factors that influence this population’s help-seeking behaviors. The purpose of this research was to examine counselors’ experiences with and understanding of multicultural competence in developing a therapeutic alliance with …

Detection Of Breast Cancer In African American Women Using Walk-In Mammography, Munachi Nwosu

Dissertations

Abstract

Problem: Breast cancer is a life-threatening condition, in which the prognosis could potentially worsen with a delay in the detection and commencement of treatment. Scheduling patients for mammograms continues to allow for long wait times that exist in screening mammography. Lower rates of participation in scheduled screening mammograms contributes to the increased rate of advanced breast cancer diagnosis that exit in African American women and threatens their health outcomes. The purpose of this project was to implement walk-in mammography to increase participation for early breast cancer detection.

Methods: An observational descriptive design with a retrospective chart review. A PDSA …

Factors Associated With Parent Involvement For African American Youth With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: Findings From The Nlts-2012, Latonya J. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

This study used a correlational design to explore the association between parent demographics, parent experiences, and parent expectations, and parent involvement for families supporting African American youth with IDD. Chi-square statistical analyses were used to determine the associations between parent involvement and factors related to post-school planning. Associations were found between parent involvement and parent demographics, parent and youth experiences with professionals, parent expectations. The findings of this study provide opportunities for professionals and other stakeholders to intentionally develop actionable goals and objectives aimed at redefining parental involvement through a culturally responsive lens that positions parents as a resource, create …

Higher Command: An Examination Of African American Leadership In The Vietnam Era, Amanda Abulawi

Master's Theses

Since the founding of the United States, African Americans have sacrificed their lives to uphold the nation’s democratic ideals, all while being denied equal access to voting, education, employment, and housing rights at home. Military service appealed to many African Americans who hoped it would lead to social and economic advancement for themselves and their race. Despite African American military participation throughout the nation’s history, these soldiers were treated as outsiders through segregated units and often relegated to non-combative duties, until the Vietnam War. This was the first major conflict in which African Americans had been deployed in large numbers …

'Our Duty Is To Furnish Such Education:' Black Children And Schooling In Baltimore City, 1828 - 1900, Lisa Rose Lamson

Dissertations (1934 -)

This dissertation focuses on the ways Baltimore City’s public school system developed in the nineteenth century as it was shaped by Black Baltimorean’s expectations of their children’s schooling. From the beginning of the city’s public school system, established in 1828, Black Baltimoreans advocated for their children’s futures by demanding access to universal, state sponsored education. Black Baltimoreans declared that children had a right to an education that was in sufficient buildings, had appropriate graded curricular choices that would benefit their futures, and were taught by black teachers or those “in sympathy” with them. This dissertation argues that for Black Baltimoreans, …

#Blackfemaleteachersmatter: The Experiences Of Three African American Female Teachers Who Left The Classroom During Their Induction Years, Ashlye Victoria Wilkerson

Theses and Dissertations

This study captured the lived experiences of three African American, female classroom teachers who left the profession within three years of beginning their careers. The main goal that led this research was to center the perspectives of African American women in the conversation about teacher retention, turnover, and attrition percentages that plague the field of education. The primary questions that guided this study were: (1) “What can be learned from the life stories of former African American female teachers who left the teaching profession from South Carolina public classrooms during their induction years?”, (2) “What do their life stories reveal …

African American Teachers' Experiences Of Becoming A Teacher In Ohio: A Case Study, Feon M. Battiste

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been a hiring discrepancy in the recruiting and hiring process of African American teachers in Ohio (Stein, 2019). The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore African American teachers’ experiences of becoming teachers in Ohio and their suggestions for improving the hiring process. Five research questions guided the study: (a) What were African American teachers’ lived experiences of becoming a teacher in Ohio? (b) How do African American teachers perceive the obstacles and catalysts of becoming and remaining teachers in Ohio? (c) How do African American teachers view diversity in the teaching force? (d) What policies …

Disparities In Programming African American Solo Vocal Music On College Campuses Across The United States, Ramelle Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the representation of African American composers within the solo vocal literature genre of classical music. Literature suggests the music of African American composers is seldom taught in classical musical studies. The study explored one publicly available college recital database from each U.S. geographical region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West), which included listings of songs performed at each recital. The researcher recorded the number of recitals including African American composers and provided a numerical breakdown of song genres associated with African American Americans that included African American arts songs, Spirituals, Blues, Gospel, Jazz, and operatic arias. The number of …

Investigating The Determinants Of Student Low Enrollment In Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus): The Case Of One Hbcu In The South, Anthony Trumaine Jackson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

There is an undeniable fact that enrollment management efforts on academic campuses have become an integral part of campus finance and the backbone of accreditation. Many Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are on the verge of collapsing and even losing their accreditations due to low enrollment, a decline that has been observed in recent decades.

Therefore, this study investigated why students are not enrolling in HBCUs. The study further explored the perceived factors that are likely to contribute to low student enrollment at HBCUs and the role financial matters play in student enrollment. To address this gap in the …

Racial And Socioeconomic Disparities Influencing Obesity Amongst Middle-Aged Women, Morgan Woods

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Many studies have examined the effects of racial and socioeconomic differences on health-related disparities involving obesity but, few have examined the mental and physical well-being intersection. Obesity is a disease that affects many Americans and has become an epidemic affecting the American population. Obesity, especially morbid obesity, is a risk factor for many other obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and more. Using the 2018 Healthcare Avoidance Study, differences were found between two racial groups, Caucasian and African-American women. Race was found as a significant factor for both level of physical activity and ideal body image perception

Exploring The Impact Of The Achievement Gap On Shame And Resilience In African American College Students, Brittany R. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap refers to the stark difference that occurs between racial or gender groups, as one group performs significantly higher than the other. An achievement gap has the propensity to produce psychological distress, as well as buffering techniques that are necessary for survival and success. Growing research shows that African American college students experience unique levels of trauma, shame, hardship, macro, and micro-aggressions, suggesting that these students learn to self-preserve as early as 10 years old. This study used a Pearson correlation, Independent T-Test, and a Moderated Multiple Regression to explore the impact of the achievement gap on shame …

“My Bruises Are Inward:” A Study Of Mental Trauma In The American Civil War, Cody Turnbaugh

Master's Theses

War is traumatic. Since the American Psychiatric Association first recognized post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 1980, living veterans of combat have been diagnosed at an alarmingly high rate. However, mental trauma related diagnoses have existed for centuries, including several that were identified around the time of the American Civil War. This thesis argues that Civil War soldiers experienced mental trauma related to their military service. It does so through three lenses. Focused on the mental trauma among Northern veterans, this study investigates in particular the relationship between mental trauma and socioeconomic status. It analyzes the experiences of both white and …

Decolonial Lessons From Historical African American Community Leaders: Reconstructing African American Identity As Resistance In Praxis, Rhejean King-Johnson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study analyzes the communication praxis for the purposes of decolonization of four community leaders, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells and Malcolm X in efforts to reconstruct African American (AA) identity by exposing the inhumane speech, behavior and thought of white supremacy. Their work employs specific communication strategies such as descriptive narrative, allegory, two-ness, anaphora, and metaphors to address the oppressive white-centric representation of AA identity and provide a decolonial shift in U.S. Eurocentric ideology. Through a close reading and textual analysis of representative works such as, Frederick Douglass’s book, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” (2005), …

#Blackgirlmathmagic: A Mixed Methods Study Examining African American Girls In Standardized Mathematicstesting, Rakeema Thomas Toussaint

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Black women have been making successful strides in mathematics for decades; however, they continue to be underrepresented in mathematics and other STEM fields. According to Young et al. (2017), Black girls and women perform lower in mathematics than all other racial gender groups except for Black males. Considering the stakes for Black girls and women in mathematics, this study sought to address this group's challenges early in their secondary education experiences, focusing on standardized testing.

The purpose of this explanatory-sequential mixed-methods study was to determine how different mathematics item types impacted the performance of African American girls, especially multiple-select multiple-choice …

Views From The Margins: A Multiple-Case Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Black Women Senior-Level Student Affairs Administrators, Tamekka L. Cornelius

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of senior-level Black women student affairs administrators at four-year degree granting institutions. Moreover, this study documents Black women in nonfaculty administrative roles in student affairs at both predominately White institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). A multiple case study research design was used to investigate this phenomenon. Two frameworks were used to ground the study: Black feminist thought and representational bureaucracy. The following questions guided it: (1) What are the work experiences of Black women in senior leadership positions in student affairs? (2) What barriers/issues to obtaining senior leadership …

Reimagining Prince Hall: Race, Freemasonry, And Material Culture In Boston, 1775-1870, Sueanna Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation revisits the subject of early black freemasonry and draws upon a new wealth of archival material to recontextualize it through the lens of social history and print and material culture. This study explores the way that freemasonry operated in the daily lives of black masons and presents a new social history of the formation of Boston’s first black masonic lodge. Turning specifically to print and material culture, it traces the way that the earliest black masons engaged in the broader print and material culture of the society, thus promoting interracial engagement. This study also traces how the Prince …

A Cost Effectiveness Analysis Of The Nutritious Eating With Soul Study, Mary Jones Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE Historically, African Americans (AA) have been underrepresented in nutritionrelated behavioral research despite their disproportionate higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) Study is one of the first of its kind to recruit an AA only study group to examine CVD prevention via a clinical trial to examine changes in CVD risk factors across two cohorts who are randomly assigned to a plant-based, soul food vegan diet or low-fat omnivorous (omni) diet. The purpose of cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) is to inform clinical and policy decisions and the costs of interventions that society is …

Teacher Biases And Expectations: Impact On Self-Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Delinquent Behavior Among Black Grade School Students, Rhonda Lloyd

Dissertations

Black children and adolescents in today’s society face so many challenges that come about from the hands of authority figures in their life, their environment, the education system, and society as a whole. Through a critical review of literature, the author sought to answer three research questions: (1) What are the indications that teachers may be more biased toward Black students? (2) How do perceived teacher biases and discrimination impact the self-esteem and self-efficacy of Black students? (3) How are teacher bias and the school-to-prison pipeline connected? The literature review exposed a need for a teacher training model, which was …

The Evolution Of Protest And Social Movements In The National Basketball Association From The Mid-20th Century To The Present Day, Luke Messersmith

Honors Theses

For my thesis, I focus on the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the evolution of how its personnel—players, coaches, refs, owners, etc.—navigated racism, politics, social injustice, platform utilization, and other pressing topics from the mid-1900s to the present day. Monumental players that used their platform in the NBA to inspire change include Bill Russell (1960s), Kareem-Abdul Jabaar (1970s), Craig Hodges (1990s), and LeBron James (2010s). These men and many others risked their images, and in some cases, their NBA careers, in order to protest, march, boycott, and kneel for causes they believed in, such as the civil rights movement and …

What Factors Support Degree Completion For African American Women Students At A Land-Grant Historically Black College University (Hbcu)?, Samantha Friar

Dissertations

There is minimal research conducted on African American women degree completion who attend a land-grant HBCU. This study investigated key factors that assisted 9 African American women and promoted their degree attainment. My research utilized the ethnography framework to observe a specific culture group, language, behaviors beliefs, and beliefs. The findings in this research identified 5 factors: culture environment, academic advising, student engagement, financial aid, and faculty mentoring. It was determined that cultural environment is a leading factor among the African American participants of this research, as connecting with peers that shared the same cultural beliefs as the participants do, …

Perceived Discrimination Within The Patient-Provider Relationship And Its Impact On Help-Seeking Behaviors, Lechey S. Hibbler

Dissertations

Racial and ethnic minorities have faced discrimination for hundreds of years. When patients experience discrimination in healthcare settings, help-seeking behaviors decrease. Many patients choose to refrain from seeking treatment until their psychological or physical health issues are unmanageable, often resulting in acute visits to the emergency department. Patients that have experienced previous discriminatory encounters with health care providers are more likely to choose not to seek help for physical or mental health concerns, resulting in overall poorer physical health and mental health outcomes. With the use of critical evaluation of previous studies, this paper has demonstrated that perceived discrimination negatively …

The Impact Of Poverty And Neighborhood Characterstics On The Mental Health And Parent-Child Closeness In The Black Community: The Protective Role Of Black Cultural Strengths, Brandon Davis Hollie

Dissertations - ALL

Poverty and negative neighborhood characteristics can be detrimental to the mental health wellbeing of Black people. Yet, there is a lack of understanding of how, why, and for whom such factors impact the mental of the Black community. Using a sample of 1654 Black families from the Fragile Family and Child Wellbeing Study I investigated two models. First, I examined the path from poverty to depression, anxiety, and tested Black cultural strengths, religiosity and neighborhood cohesion as moderators. Second, I examined the path from poverty to parent-child closeness and tested Black cultural strengths, social ties and extended family as moderators. …

The Impact Of Poverty And Neighborhood Characterstics On The Mental Health And Parent-Child Closeness In The Black Community: The Protective Role Of Black Cultural Strengths, Brandon Davis Hollie

Dissertations - ALL

Poverty and negative neighborhood characteristics can be detrimental to the mental health wellbeing of Black people. Yet, there is a lack of understanding of how, why, and for whom such factors impact the mental of the Black community. Using a sample of 1654 Black families from the Fragile Family and Child Wellbeing Study I investigated two models. First, I examined the path from poverty to depression, anxiety, and tested Black cultural strengths, religiosity and neighborhood cohesion as moderators. Second, I examined the path from poverty to parent-child closeness and tested Black cultural strengths, social ties and extended family as moderators. …

The Dynamic Intersections Of Race And Gender In Treating Postpartum Depression: How Dance And Movement Connects To Support The Mother-Child Dyad, Stephanie Sinclair

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Part of the lived experience of being an African American mother means experiencing racism throughout life making one more vulnerable to developing postpartum depression and experiencing mental health problems in general. This review examines postpartum depression in African American women from an intersectional and embodied lens and considers the intergenerational impact that racism has on the mental health of African American mothers and children. Conventional options for treating postpartum depression in the mother-child dyad did not include a cultural lens and few studies explicitly considered race and culture or interventions which were culturally affirming. Dance Movement Therapy is uniquely positioned …

Beyond Pathology: A Critical Review Of The Literature On Black Female Sexuality, Twerk, And Dmt, Patricka James

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This thesis uses a dance/movement therapy investigative and critical lens to examine the controversial twerking phenomenon. This literature review investigates twerk’s historical, embodied, and hyperlocal cultural settings as it relates to the stigmatized sexuality of U.S. Black women, the history and effects of oversexualizing Black female sexuality that influences twerk’s negative review, the dance/movement therapy field’s cultural movement bias, and dance/movement therapy's potential as a therapeutic intervention for Black women. Racial and sexual socialization of Black female sexuality is found to be attributed to twerk’s negative review and its existence as an embodied form of resistance and liberation. In examining …