Surviving While Black: Systemic Racism and Psychological Resilience
Date
2023-01-18
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Annual Review of Psychology
Abstract
This autobiographical essay traces my personal journey from grandson of a slave to a cultural psychologist examining racism. My journey includes growing up in a small Ohio town, training in social psychology, and an academic career that was launched with the publication of Prejudice and Racism in 1972. I weave my personal experiences with my analytical approach to racism that incorporates individual, institutional, and cultural factors that combine to explain systemic racism. The racism analysis is balanced by a narrative of mechanisms that confer resilience and psychological well-being on Black people as they navigate the obstacles of systemic racism. I also explore diversity as a form of psychological and behavioral competence required to live effectively in a diverse world. I conclude that these aspects of human relations can be better understood and addressed with advancement of diversity science.
Description
This article was originally published in Annual Review of Psychology. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-020822-052232
Keywords
race, diversity, racism, resilience, culture, African Americans, autobiography
Citation
Jones, James M. “Surviving While Black: Systemic Racism and Psychological Resilience.” Annual Review of Psychology 74, no. 1 (January 18, 2023): 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-020822-052232.