Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Hedy R. Dexter
Abstract
For generations, Black Americans depended on religious coping strategies to counter the impact of racism; the idea of giving the problem to God was shown to alleviate powerlessness and racism-related stress among pre-Millennial generations of Black Americans. However, the shift to an allegedly post-racist society has complicated recognition of racism and the coping process for Black American Millennials (BAMs). The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether BAMs and pre-Millennials perceive racism as an ongoing problem and whether generation (i.e., pre-Millennial Blacks and BAMs) moderates the effectiveness of religious coping strategies to mitigate racism-related stress. The theory of cognitive appraisal and symbolic racism theory were used to frame the study. Online surveys were administered to 206 Black Americans who were at least 20 years old. Results of an independent sample t test indicated no significant generational differences in the perceptions of ongoing racism. Results of a hierarchical moderated regression analysis indicated no significant differences in the mean racism-related stress scores between BAMs and pre-Millennial Blacks. Findings may be used to promote discussion about generational differences in perceptions of racism as an ongoing problem and how those differences impact the use of religious coping strategies to mitigate racism-related stress.
Recommended Citation
Hinton, Edward Charles, "Black American Millennials Coping with the Myth of a Post-Racist Society" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8459.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8459
