African American Studies Commons^™

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Computer Use Among African Americans, Kandice Lauren Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

On average, African Americans receive lower wages in the workplace due to lack of advanced technical skills. The reason for technical deficiency among some African Americans is often lack of exposure to IT resources at an early age. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to identify and explore the factors that contribute to lack of IT resources available to some African Americans to cultivate IT skills. Information literacy theory formed the conceptual framework, which focused on information resources that African American and Caucasians use in the workforce for problem solving and retrieving information. Data were collected by conducting face-to-face …

Racial Differences In The Impact Of A Worksite Wellness Program On Cardiovascular Biomarkers, Ceabert Joseph Griffith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for approximately 600,000 deaths in the United States each year, with African Americans (AAs) disproportionately affected. Individual-level approaches to reducing CVD remain ineffective, mobilizing a movement that advocates for population-based solutions. Workplace wellness programs (WWPs) have gained considerable traction as a viable strategy for ameliorating CVD burden among workers in general. However, no studies have looked at the efficacy of WWPs in ameliorating CVD specifically among AA employees--a knowledge gap that this investigation aimed to close. Based on the health belief model and the social cognitive theory, this retrospective cohort study used de-identified secondary data …

A Phenomenological Study Of African American Males Who Drop Out, Adrianna Starr Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although school districts in Florida have reported a decrease in the overall dropout rate, the dropout rate among African American males remains higher than it does for any other ethnic group. Guided by Ogbu's oppositional culture theory, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the high dropout rate among African American males and determine some of the social, cultural, educational, and economic elements that may hinder African American males from completing high school. A purposive sample of 10 African American males who dropped out of high school and who were between the ages of 18 and 35 was …

Exploring The Lack Of African Americans In The Department Of Defense Senior Executive Service Corps, Audrea Maria Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of African American representation in the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Senior Executive Service (SES) Corps. In 2011, only 11.4% of the DoD's SES members were African American. This disparate representation is problematic because it contradicts the creation of a diverse workforce, which in turn limits opportunities for African Americans to join the elite DoD SES Corps. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of 9 African American SES members in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Agencies, and Defense Field Activities to determine factors contributing to their promotions into the …

A Mixed Method Study Of Diagnostic And Adaptive Functioning Challenges In African American Preschool-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Douglene Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to experience performance and participation challenges, with early diagnosis being critical for improved outcomes. Children from ethnic minority backgrounds tend to receive their diagnoses later, even when symptomatology is similar. This mixed methods study explored symptom severity, functional difficulties, and age at diagnosis for ASD and to describe the functional challenges encountered by preschool-aged children with ASD of African American descent. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health along with the Model of Human Occupation were the theories used for this study to conceptualize functional challenges and other potential factors. Research …

Sports Participation And Gpa For African-American Male Students, Demetrit Scott Rusin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Improving the academic success and graduation rates of African-American males has been a major focus of both scholars and practitioners in the United States. Locally, African-American males at an urban Title 1 school were experiencing the lowest grade point averages, American College Test scores, and graduation rates in the district. In response to these academic declines, this study focused on the tenets of Bechtol's sports participation theory, which holds that students who play sports experience greater academic achievement and adult success in life. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between total hours of high school …

Shared Trauma: A Phenomenological Investigation Of African American Teachers, Juanita Lynne White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the wake of increasing community disasters such as hurricanes, neighborhood violence, and terrorist attacks, schools are usually deemed places where youth can find safety and stability. Research about community trauma related to the role of teachers and schools has predominantly focused on younger populations, concerned about disturbances in their developmental processes. School teachers' responsibilities related to these community disasters have also increased and now include supporting their traumatized students. However, there has been limited attention on the direct effect of community traumas on the teachers who work and live in affected districts. The construct of shared trauma describes this …

Challenges African American Students Face When Adjusting To Predominantly White Institutions, Argyle Jeanine Smallwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this case study was to explore the challenges African American students face when adjusting to predominantly White institutions and to review these institutions' diversity policies to determine whether the institutions are aligned with African American students' needs. The study was based on critical race theory to examine whether and how racial microaggressions influence racial tension at the predominantly White institutions selected for this study. The research questions were used to gauge (a) the level of comfort among African American students attending one of these predominantly White institutions, (b) their overall satisfaction with their decisions to attend the …

Knowledge Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Among African American Parents, Jamille T. Harrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Domestic minor sex trafficking in the United States is a human rights issue and social problem affecting over 300,000 children ages 12-17, 43% of whom are African American girls. This survey was an exploration of domestic minor sex trafficking knowledge among African American parents and their protective strategies to prevent victimization. Ecological systems theory provided a conceptual framework to examine the environmental factors shaping parental knowledge. The sample consisted of 2 Southern California African American churches (n = 38, n = 32) that served different socioeconomic groups. The African American Sex Trafficking Knowledge survey was researcher designed and pretested …

Opinion Editorial: When Will Our Lives Matter?, Jamar Ragland

College Student Affairs Leadership

When Will Our Lives Matter?

Opinion Editorial: Why Is It That So Many White People Fear Black Men?, Dmitri C. Westbrook

College Student Affairs Leadership

Why is it that so Many White People Fear Black Men?

Fearless Friday: Ja'nai Harris, Christina L. Bassler

SURGE

Ja’Nai Harris ’16 is a fearless advocate for equity, diversity, and justice here at Gettysburg. Her efforts have been instrumental in planning several important events on campus including the #BlackLivesMatter vigil held on Tuesday, December 9th and the Ferguson discussion held on December 2nd. Through her work as a Diversity Peer Educator (DPE) and Co-president of the Black Student Union (BSU), she has used her leadership to spread positivity, activism and social change. [excerpt]

To My Peers Dismayed By The Looting, Rashida Aluko-Roberts

SURGE

“…Violent acts of protesters.”
“…destruction of properties.”
“…looting stores.”

I tried to hide my frustration as I listened to the class discussion taking place. How can people be so easily influenced by mainstream media and focus on the acts of a few individuals instead of thousands of peaceful protesters? [excerpt]

Volume 7 - Issue 1: La Créole - A Journal Of Creole History & Genealogy, Gina Colin Greenlee, Madeline Aubert Gex, Elizabeth Blandin, Ronald Dorris, Alvin Aubert, Hephzibah Roskelly

La Créole - A Journal of Creole History & Genealogy

The Louisiana Creole Research Association, Inc., known as LA Creole, was founded on August 21, 2004 as a New Orleans-based, non-profit family research and educational organization. Its purpose is to assist Creoles of Color in researching their ancestry, to educate the general public about Creole history and culture, and to celebrate the contributions and legacy of a unique, sometimes forgotten people. La Créole, the Association’s journal is published annually.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 90, No. 27, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

• Voorhees, Jessica. WKU Seeks Reaccreditation Decision to Come Next December – Southern Association of Colleges & Schools Commission on Colleges
• Holloway, Kae & Trey Crumbie. Fall-to-Fall Enrollment Numbers Decrease
• Brown, Leah. Students Prepare for Finals Week
• Harney, LaShana. Student Government Association Passes Alcohol Resolution During Final Meeting
• Brown, Leah. Social Justice Group Seeks to Educate Students – Coalition for Social Justice
• Editorial Cartoon Fire Safety Statistics
• Ransdell, Gary. Ransdell’s Words on Fire Tragedy – Tyler English
• Parker, Jacob. Holidays Offer Time for Reflection
• Holiday on the Hill Photos – …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 90, No. 26, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

• Voorhees, Jessica. Veteran Students Adjust to College Life – Soldiers, Chris Parker
• Harney, LaShana. College of Health & Human Services Dean Search to Conclude
• Williams, Kyle. W-K-Upset – Football
• Harney, LaShana. Student Government Association Resolution Supports Amending Alcohol Policy
• Editorial Cartoon Student Publications Dumptruck
• Tree Toppers: College Heights Herald Christmas Gifts
• Laves, Karl. How to Prepare for Successful Finals Week
• Pointer, Alyssa. Toppers Tournament Photos – Volleyball
• Henderson, Andrew. All Spruced Up – Christmas Trees, Morgan’s Fresh Cut Trees
• French, Jackson. Double Feature – Movies
• Jessie, Stephanie. AAMBGA Works …

Exploring The Efficacy Of "Crooked Sticks" : Diasporan Resistance And Discursive Ambivalence In Zora Neale Hurston's Jonah's Gourd Vine, Amy Schmidt

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

From The Editor-In-Chief: A Celebration Of American Arts And Letters, Regennia N. Williams

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

Ashes, Mauricio E. Novoa

SURGE

There’s silence as everybody waits to hear what we already know is coming,
ears fixated on Robert McCulloch with hands over mouths,
and our fears are validated. [excerpt]

Ua1c11/57 Fall Graduation Photos, Wku Nursing

WKU Administration Documents

Unidentified photos from the December 2014 nursing graduation.

Table Of Contents, Regennia N. Williams

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

Self-Realization In A Restricted World: Janie's Early Discovery In Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, Delisa D. Hawkes

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

Zora Neale Hurston And Then Ishmael Reed: Syncretizing Moses With "Sympathetic" Comic Rhetoric, Gillian Johns

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

One School Year With Zora Neale Hurston: A September - June Timeline Unit For K - 8 Schools, Lana J. Miller

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

New Perspectives On Religion, Race, And Culture, Regennia N. Williams

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

Pentecostalism In An African Context, Michael L. Zadell

The Journal of Traditions & Beliefs

No abstract provided.

Why Don't They Give Back: Alumni Giving At Two Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Jasmine A. Pope

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Throughout the literature, HBCU alumni non-donors were perceived to possess the opposite characteristics of alumni that do give financially. In order to further examine the lack of alumni giving at HBCUs, this study evaluated previously identified characteristics of HBCU alumni that choose not to financially support their alma maters. The purpose of this study was to examine how income, student experience, religious charitable giving, alumni perceptions, and alumni engagement, relate to alumni giving at HBCUs. An explanatory correlational design was used to address the research questions posed in this study. The 4,500 person sample, which consisted of donors and non-donors, …

No Prejudice Here: Racism, Resistance, And The Struggle For Equality In Denver, 1947-1994, Summer Marie Cherland

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study chronicles a story of civil rights that has been left untold until now. Recent scholarship contributing to the history of the "long civil rights movement" has reframed our understanding of civil rights beyond the years of the late 1950s and early 1960s. In addition, it has also demonstrated that civil rights activity occurred in regions other than the South. However, most work on the long civil rights movement demonstrates that activism among blacks began much earlier than the Brown v. Board Supreme Court case and instead, was a part of a longer freedom struggle that, in many ways, …

The Triple Double: Racially Ambiguous Afro-Latino Identities In America, Yen Rodriguez

Master of Arts in American Studies Capstones

Historically, racial identities in the United States of America have operated on a binary platform of ethno-racial consideration. In turn, this system has classified most racially ambiguous members of society into categories that fail to acknowledge the complexity of their ethnic and racial identities. These pre-determined classifications have lasting effects on the accessibility of opportunities and the social spaces available to ethno-racially unidentifiable members of society. These groups of racially ambiguous Americans, however, challenge the efficacy of an 'either/or' binary system. This piece outlines a learning community for first year students, exploring the ethno-racial ambiguity of Afro-Latino identities in America. …

The Black Baptist Denomination Of South Carolina: A Social Capital Analysis, Sheila Snoddy

All Dissertations

The question of the Black church's relevancy, power, and influence has been at the forefront of theological and social debates since the Civil Rights era. The continuation of these debates in the 21st century has postulated that today's Black church has become less theologically grounded and less vision-driven in initiatives and movements and is becoming ineffective advocates in addressing the social ills and challenges that cripple the upward mobility of individuals and communities. This study attempts to support the hypothesis that the Black church still possesses the relevancy, power, and influence as a vital and progressive community institution for positive …