Summary
This qualitative work examined the words 30 African Americans used to describe the advice their parents gave them when interacting with police. This work is important because unarmed African Americans are disproportionately more likely to be murdered by police. Preliminary examination of the data revealed three themes: (1) Words: “Keep Calm and Watch What You Say;” (2) Actions: “Make No Sudden Moves;” (3) Avoidance: “We Never Talked About It.” The findings suggest researchers should examine the physical, psychological, and emotional toll this conversation has on African American parents and their children. The findings also suggest the need for researchers to examine why some African American parents avoid having conversations with their children regarding how to interact with law enforcement. Practitioners can help African Americans understand how racialized trauma in the form of the murder of unarmed African American people can unconsciously minimize the physical and psychological health of African Americans.

Objectives

• The specific strategies for safety when interacting with police.
• How African American parents keep their children safe when interacting with police.
• The importance of words and behaviors to de-escalate police interaction.

Subject Codes: race, communication, well-being
Population Codes: African Americans, ,
Method and Approach Codes: content analysis, qualitative methodology,

Summary
The U.S. faces unprecedented challenges due to the intersections of dual pandemics of COVID-19 and systemic racism. Black Americans have fared the worst during the current global pandemic with about 1 in every 1,000 dying from the disease since February. The otherpandemic has long plagued this country: systemic racism. These dual pandemics can have negative effects on Black individuals and families. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important, especially during what seems like insurmountable times of chronic stress, anxiety, grief, and trauma felt by the Black community, to identify adaptive strategies Black Americans and their families employ to sustain wellbeing in the face of these dual pandemics. Using a sample of Black American young adults, semi-structured, in-depth interviews found that Black Joy is an adaptive strategy employed by Black Americans and their families to sustain wellbeing in the face of these dual pandemics.

Objectives

• To define Black Joy
• To analyze Black Joy as an adaptive strategy to sustain wellbeing
• To discuss implications of this research on family research, public policy, intervention, and practice work

Subject Codes: diversity, COVID-19, happiness
Population Codes: African Americans, ,
Method and Approach Codes: qualitative methodology, strength-based, strength-based

Summary
Although scholars have paid close attention to the implications of interracial friendships, there has been a dearth of research exploring the factors that may precipitate the formation of interracial friendships as well as more qualitative aspects of these friendships. Accordingly, the current study sought to examine how skin tone and exposure to racial and within-group discrimination may influence R/E minority college students’ likelihood of developing interracial friendships as well as the frequency of contact with interracial friends. Findings indicated that respondents who reported increased exposure to racial discrimination had fewer interracial friendships; conversely, respondents who reported increased exposure to within-group discrimination were likely to report more interracial friendships. Further, darker skin individuals were less likely to report having interracial friends. Taken together, physical characteristics as well as experiences that occur during R/E minorities’ collegiate experience harbors important implications for the formation and dynamics of interracial friendships.

Objectives

• To identify the factors that precipitate racial and ethnic minority college students’ development of interracial friendships as well asthe frequency of contact with interracial friends.
• To demonstrate how racial/ethnic discrimination and within-group discrimination may uniquely predict the formation of interracial friendships using intergroup contact and social identity theory.
• To illustrate how sociocultural processes may interact to predict the development of interracial friendships as well as the frequency of contact with interracial friends.

Subject Codes: interpersonal relationships, discrimination, context
Population Codes: emerging/young adulthood, undergraduate students, People of Color
Method and Approach Codes: quantitative methodology, regression: linear (simple, multiple, hierarchical), theory [identify specific theory below]

Summary
This qualitative study explored the experiences of 23, low-income, Black, male, First Generation college students in effort to understand the pre-college motivations and experiences that propelled them to become the first in their families to attend college. This study used Phenomenological Variant Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST), an expansion of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, to examine the biases, obstacles, and expectations encountered in their physical and social environments; Intersectionality was used to identify the processes of domination that created and supported those obstacles and biases and to examine how these participants challenged and overcame those processes of domination. The findings of this study highlight the importance of self-awareness and agency which combined to encourage these participants in their pursuit of admission to college and to then exhibit resilient behaviors in order to graduate from college and; acknowledged or unacknowledged actions that seemed motivated by Afrocentric principals.

Objectives

• To examine the ways self awareness serves as a catalyst for agency in Black male First Generation college students.
• To analyze the connection between self awareness and Afrocentric principles in Black male First Generation college students.
• To demonstrate the importance of culturally responsive programs which support cultural development of Black male First Generation college students.

Subject Codes: decision making, ethnicity, identity
Population Codes: undergraduate students, African Americans, low income
Method and Approach Codes: qualitative methodology, intersectionality, social justice