Environmental Stress And African Americans

Environmental Stress and African Americans The Other Side of the Moon GRACE CARROLL Foreword by Chester M. Pierce Afterword by Walter Allen PEAEGER Westport, Connecticut London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Carroll, Grace. Environmental stress and African Americans : the other side of the moon / Grace Carroll ; foreword by Chester M. Pierce ; afterword by Walter Allen, p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-275-95929-5 (alk. paper) 1. Afro-Americans—Psychology. 2. Afro-Americans—Social conditions—1975- 3. Racism—United States—Psychological aspects. 4. United States—Race relations—Psychological aspects. 5. Stress (Psychology)—United States. I. Title. E185.625.C36 1998 305.896,073—DC21 97-5579 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 1998 by Grace Carroll All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-5579 ISBN: 0-275-95929-5 First published in 1998 Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 To my father, Nathan Joseph Carroll, Sr., who fueled my strong will and showed me how to be a fighter, always keeping my eyes on the prize; to my mother, Masako Murata Carroll, whose unconditional love provided the safety net I neededto take risks and forge ahead with hope; to my brothers, Nathan Joseph Carroll, Jr., and Alan Dal ton Carroll, whose support and love for children and family allowed me to be warmly encircled by both; and to my children, Tajai DeNeil and Julana Makiku, whose creative talents, brilliance, and inner beauty fill my life with joy, pride, and laughter, I dedicate this work, done in loving memory of two truly amazing Graces: my paternal grandmother, Grace Anna Carroll, and my cousin, Grace (Jasiri) Ellen Whaley. I love you. This page intentionally left blank Contents 1. 2. Foreword by Chester Pierce ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xv Introduction: African Americans and Mundane Extreme Environmental Stress 1 Of M.E.E.S. and Men: Case Studies of African American Single Fathers 17 The Flip Side of Teen Mothers: Their Perspectives on Young Fathers 43 4. Parenting: Mothers, Magic, M.E.E.S., and Myths 55 5. A Challenge of Getting a "Good Education": Black Students on White Campuses 79 6. Professional Sisterhood: Standing in Stellar Space 95 7. Summary 115 Afterword by Walter Allen 131 Bibliography 135 Index 141 3. This page intentionally left blank Foreword Dr. Grace Carroll has written an educative, absorbing, and persuasive book. She tries to make readers understand the pernicious, destructive effects of racism, which seem omnipresent and ubiquitous in American society. Her method of presentation includes moving autobiographical poetry and prose, as lead-ins for the creative psychosociological research inquiries she has performed. What may be most special about the book is that it speaks to the important fact that African American investigators are able to conceptualize problem areas in racism, perhaps in a distinctive manner, because of their own life experiences. Dr. Carroll, in addition, takes much care to indicate places of strength in black populations and to give valuable suggestions about how to am