Black identity and coping with stress among African-Americans in a predominantly white university setting.

Abstract

Black identity as a mediator to coping among African Americans has been largely unexplored despite the growing research on racial identities. It is proposed that such identity is a significant factor in one's overall self concept and is linked to ways in which African Americans handle adversity within predominantly White environments. This study presents the use of multiple methods to obtain pertinent information regarding Black identity, sense of self esteem, ways of coping, and stress level in such an environment. The research was interested in addressing the following questions: (1) How do African Americans cope with racially-based stressors in predominantly White university settings? (2) Does having a positive Black identity influence the coping styles of African Americans? (3) Are there distinct differences in the way African Americans cope that are based on one's role affiliation and relationship to the university? (4) Do Black identity and specific characteristic ways of coping result in positive outcomes for African Americans, such as lowered stress levels and higher self esteem? The findings indicate that there are relationships between Black identity, coping, stress, and self esteem that are unique to each of three university affiliation groups: undergraduates, graduate students, and staffpersons.