BLACK CHILDREN OR BLACK PARENTS?

What Is It All About: Black Children or Black Parents?

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction3

Chapter 2: Literature Review9

Cultural Values Relevant To African Americans9

Families9

Role Of The Black Church13

Therapeutic Considerations14

Referral Sources18

Chapter 3: Methodology20

Research Design20

Data Collection and Ethical Issues23

Chapter 4: Discussion & Analysis25

Household and Family26

Characteristics Of African American Families27

Development of the Modern African American Family29

Chapter 5: Conclusions33

References35

What Is It All About: Black Children or Black Parents?

Chapter 1: Introduction

The term African American is an evolutionary one that gives rise to much debate regarding categorization and inclusion (Coard, 2004). African American is an ethnic term that includes persons who are descended from the African continent and whose families have been in the Americas for at least one generation; in contrast, the term Black refers to race and includes diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Caribbean and African ethnicities. However, both terms are often used interchangeably as a racial term (Rong, 2006). Conflict may often arise between native-born Blacks and Black immigrants and their children, all of whose experiences within American society help inform their decision to identify with the term African American. However, concerns about competing for limited resources are often cited as the reason for a wish to be less inclusive rather than more inclusive in terms of identifying group membership (Coard, 2004).

The need to categorize and group those who were not members of the dominant group in the United States began in the mid-1600s when Africans arrived to the newly established American colonies (Tolson, 2004). Initial categorizations referred to racial/ethnic characteristics, including skin color, hair texture and physical phenotypes (e.g., lips, nose, and body shape), parentage, and land of origin. It is perhaps the overlap in early categorizations which have contributed to the confusion surrounding the present-day usage of African American to denote a racial category as well as an ethnicity. Ethnic and racial group labels for people of African descent have changed over time and political contexts. Early labels used to refer to African Americans as a group included African, Negro, Black, and the derogatory term nigger.

However, with growing cultural awareness (e.g., the Harlem Renaissance), increased political power (e.g., the American civil rights movement), and grassroots activism (e.g., Black Panthers), social initiatives toward self-identification and labeling arose within African American communities (Hughes, 2001). Community members began to take control of how they were referred to in arenas involving the written word, mass media communication, the arts, sciences, and the political lexicon. These self-chosen identifications were reflective of a shared cultural heritage, language, history, and legacy of slavery and included terms such as Colored, Afro-American, African American, and, of late, the lesser-used term Neo-Nubians (Jones, 2006).

Despite the extensive use of African American as a racial/ethnic label, individuals may take issue with being presumed to identify as African American. Disagreements about inclusion and identification can be linked to an individual's generation, level of acculturation, and political affiliation. Others who do not wish to be affiliated with African Americans may deny their membership because of negative associations tied to a long history that ...