Date of Conferral

2-26-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Melody Moore

Abstract

African American men in law enforcement encounter subtle racial microaggressions that contribute to emotional distress, identity conflict, and burnout. Although researchers have examined microaggressions, few studies have centered on African American men within a large metropolitan police department or explored how they interpret these experiences across tenure ranges. This qualitative phenomenological study explored how African American men with at least 2 years of service in frontline or first-line supervisory roles in a Southern California metropolitan police department experienced, interpreted, and coped with workplace racial microaggressions over the past five years. Guided by critical race theory, intersectionality, and Sue et al.’s (2007) taxonomy, the study centered first-person narratives to illuminate institutional and interpersonal dimensions. Data were collected through an anonymous, open-ended online questionnaire. Analysis used an interpretative phenomenological approach to identify themes across cases. Findings revealed six themes: racialized questioning of professional legitimacy; organizational gatekeeping; emotional impact; coping through withdrawal and hypervigilance; resilience and collective support; and normalization of microaggressions. These themes demonstrate how microaggressions shaped officers’ identities, career trajectories, and well-being. Implications include strengthening supervision, mentoring, reporting processes, and culturally responsive training to promote psychological safety and equity in policing.

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