Identity development is a critical process common to the human experience across all demographics. While everyone engages in identity development, the range of nuances in identity that need to be navigated makes the process more complicated. As children progress through adolescence, developing their unique identity becomes a vital task in which…

This article addresses the challenge of reclaiming higher education (HE) as a public good for building effective democracies. We use Bernstein's model of pedagogic rights and Fraser's model of social justice to develop a normative framework for discussing how universities in unequal societies might mitigate social injustice. Referring to recent…

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce, describe, and document the methods involved in the preparation of a mindset intervention built into a freshmen development course, and established after years of longitudinal research, that is designed to have a positive impact on the outlook, achievement, and persistence of first generation…

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) represent only 3% of American postsecondary institutions, yet they enroll 14% and graduate 28% of all African-American undergraduate students. HBCUs are necessary and vital in addressing racial inequities and disparities, and they play a crucial role in preparing students to handle racist…

It is traditional among some peoples of the world to celebrate an individual's coming-of-age with ritual. Through these ceremonies, and the tests which sometimes accompany them, a society socializes its youth and transforms them inwardly by molding their moral and mental disposition. Without such ritualization there is a breakdown in the…

Maintains that many contemporary artists of color are not included in major art history textbooks. Describes how the author's two children designed a study to identify and interview three ethnic artists who have made contributions to U.S. society. Presents excerpts from an interview with J. Eugene Grigsby, Jr. (CFR)

Since their founding in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have represented the intellectual incubators, nurturing social-cultural environments, and professional launching pads of numerous black leaders, such as noted black theologian and revered Morehouse man, Howard Washington…

Claims that the juvenile justice system provides an array of interventions but that culturally relevant programs are necessary to deal with the myriad of social problems. Introduces the MAAT (Egyptian for virtuous or moral life) Center for Human and Organizational Enhancement Inc. and its Rites of Passage program, which uses an Afrocentric…

An Afro-American woman discusses her experiences as an entrepreneur, describing the inspiration provided by her parents; the vision which enabled her to create a multi-million dollar business; the loss of her company through industrial sabotage; and her comeback as head of a seminar, speaking, and consulting firm. (JDD)

Presents and describes the adolescent developmental pathways paradigm, a rites-of-passage model for African American youth that provides a developmental framework for ethnic identity development and integrates it into the current literature on adolescent rites of passage. Attention is given to the ecological context within which adolescent-focused…

Through the narratives of North American slaves a vivid picture of their lives, struggles, hopes, and aspirations emerges. The slave narrative arose as a response to, and a refutation of, claims that blacks could not write. Slave writings were often direct extensions of speech. Through a process of imitation and repetition, the black slave's…

A Black U.S. sociologist views the issue of marginality in early socialization and career development. Analyzes his life experiences to provide data through which a dialectical model of marginalization and human development can be constructed. Concludes that emphasis upon either marginality or mainstreaming is a function of the complex interaction…

This article describes the design and implementation, within a culturally sensitive context, of a multiservice, community-based counseling intervention aimed at promoting personal and career development of urban, African American youth. Components of this program can be adapted in planning future developmental interventions with this particular…

Racism is the current sociopolitical climate, the central bacteria, in our society, which prevents the possibility of social cohesion. This personal narrative explores a child's early experiences of racism and the development of a coping strategy. It calls for helping professionals to engage in "a lifelong critique of identity." (EMK)

This paper briefly describes Chicago's Center for Successful Child Development (CSCD), an institution aiming to prevent school failure among disadvantaged children from low-income families by providing intensive, comprehensive support services to all born since January 1, 1987 to parents residing in the six buildings of the Robert Taylor Homes…