The Racial Pandemic Experienced by Black American Men: Cognitive–Behavioral and Structural Implications

Abstract

Issues of systemic racism, mass incarceration, and cultural trauma (CT) are linked to emotional sequelae sufficient for treatment. However, attempts to explain the psychosocial reactions of Black American (BA) men to racial injustice and treat CT must be considered in the context of the current and past structural environments in which they live. The purpose of the present study was to obtain in-depth, thick description of two related factors: BA males’ perceptions of injustice during the racial pandemic and the consequent psychosocial implications for theory and treatment. An interview guide addressing racial injustice, CT, and coping was used to conduct individual and focus groups’ interviews with 20 BA men. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The qualitative analysis found five themes that collectively fulfilled the study’s aims: (1) A violation of the social contract for Black American men, (2) Black American male distrust for police, (3) tripartite Black American male, police fear and heterogeneous emotions, (4) spiritual, technological, appraisal, and relational Black American male coping for racial injustice, and (5) Black American male resilience despite permanence of the racial status quo. As it pertains to BA male racial injustice and the residual CT, the qualitative data suggested multidimensional interventions that are cognitive–behavioral and structural in nature may be worthy of further empirical investigation. From a CT intervention perspective, the five emerging themes can be directly translated into cognitive–behavioral principles regarding therapeutic rapport, cultural adaptation, emphasis on positivity, and collaborative empiricism when working with BA men.