Reports on the perceptions of "Roots" among a nationally representative sample of black Americans. Examines viewing patterns and reactions to "Roots" in relation to seven variables: urbanicity, region, gender, age, education, and income. Suggests that, for Blacks, "Roots" was more than entertainment, and that heaviest…

Discusses how slavery affected Blacks' self concepts. Offers a theory describing how the Black self concept is developed as a result of personal experience in a racially biased society. (BE)

Defines and describes Afrocentricity, suggesting that Afrocentricity within the academic context is best understood as a paradigm. Explains how Afrocentricity meets the definition of a paradigm, examining the affective, cognitive, and conative aspects of the Afrocentric paradigm (metaphysical and sociological) and looking at the structural and…

Surveyed African American high school students regarding whether strategies they used to cope with perceived discrimination related to their racial identity and racial socialization. The degree to which race was central to self-concept and identity was unrelated to both approach and avoidance strategies. Frequency of receiving socialization…

Reviews the history of black-white intimate relationships in the United States and presents a model of the development of relationships for black-white couples. The postulated stages are: (1) racial awareness; (2) coping; (3) identity emergence; and (4) maintenance. (SLD)

Investigated the influence of racial identity on the relationship between media and perception of risk among African Americans. A radio campaign was implemented to reduce domestic violence among African Americans. Telephone interviews before, during, and after the campaign indicated that the correlations between racial identity and risk…

Interviewed adult African Americans regarding four parameters of racial identification (psychological, physical, cultural, and sociopolitical). Results indicated generally high levels of racial identification across participants, though scores varied across parameters. The highest level of racial identification was obtained on the cultural…

Argues that in the United States the "white" racial category has expanded across time to include groups previously considered "non-white." The role of blacks in this expansion is explored as well as whether white Americans are really becoming a numerical minority. An alternative racial future to the one frequently forecasted is…

The attitudinal responses of 119 White undergraduates to the terms "Black,""Negro," and "Afro-American" were measured. The apparent negative connotations of the first two terms suggest that using "Afro-American" would remove the ambiguity of when to capitilize; formalize the "African Connection"; attenuate White hostilities; and, finally, connote…

Examined the extent to which Black children perceive pejorative labels such as "slow learner,""culturally disadvantaged," and "culturally deprived" as being associated with themselves. Found that these labels were indeed perceived as being negative but that they were not associated with racial group membership. (Author/BE)

Examines the reasons for a lack of development of a Black racial consciousness by Haitian immigrants in a small suburban midwestern city. Concludes that social organization, economic competition, and a differing ideology have contributed to their lack of racial consciousness. (FMW)

Examines the nature of racial group identity in an effort to determine its role in the formation of African-American media evaluations. Views racial identity as one of many forms of individual identity that help to shape our relations with others. Focuses on areas of domestic violence and the image of Black men. (MMU)

Blacks, now distributed throughout the world, have everywhere maintained some Africanisms that reflect their cultural heritage. An awareness of these Africanisms can unite Blacks throughout the diaspora and contribute to their international quest for liberation and national identity. (KH)

Investigated how racial identity formation among African American college students impacted student attitudes about the rapidly changing world. Surveys administered shortly after the September 11 attacks indicated that racial identity attitudes, gender, and student classification helped explain attitudes about the United States in the aftermath of…

Examines the change in status of African Americans in the American collective identity before and after the civil rights movement in the 1960s in terms of exclusion and inclusion. From the 1970s and onward, a gradual process of inclusion in terms of symbolic indicators (textbooks, history books, stamps, holidays) can be observed. (MMU)