Historically, Black women have experienced multiple adversities due to gendered racism. While research demonstrates that gendered racism is associated with negative physical and mental health implications, little attention has been given to how being Black and female shape Black women’s experiences in multiple contexts. This study provided an opportunity for Black women to describe their lived experiences of gendered racism in the United States. We conducted in-depth interviews with Black women ( N = 22) between the ages of 18 and 69 years. We applied a thematic analysis approach to data analysis. Three themes were identified that underscored how these Black women navigated gendered racism: (a) navigating societal expectations of being Black and female, (b) navigating relationships (or lack thereof), and (c) navigating lack of resources and limited opportunities. Findings from this study provide an increased understanding of the unique challenges that Black women face because of their subordinated statuses in the United States. These findings may influence programs and assessments for Black women’s wellness.
Over the past decade, the scientific community has been called on to explore not only groups with a higher likelihood of suicidal behavior but also the groups where such behavior is significantly less likely to occur (Satcher 1999; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2012). Out of four primary subgroups in the United States-white males, black males, white females, and black females-the latter group, black females, has and has always had the lowest rates of suicide (Centers for Disease Control 2012). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Data and Statistics Fatal Injury Report revealed that in 2015, white males had the highest suicide rate at 24.6 per 100,000 (30,658 deaths), followed by black males with a rate of 9.4 per 100,000 (2,023 deaths), then by white females with a rate of 7.2 per 100,000 (9,138 deaths), and finally black females, who had the lowest suicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000 (481 deaths). 1 Attempt survivors by race reveal a similar pattern. For example, in 2015, white women outnumbered all other groups, with approximately 175,086 (a rate of 171.5 per 100,000) attempts, followed by white males with 129,745 (a rate of 130.8 per 100,000), black women with 27,318 (a rate of 117.0 per 100,000), and black males with 16,717 (a rate of 77.6 per 100,000) (Office of Statistics and Programming and Prevention 2015). To some, black women have been identified as a "protected group" (Fernquist 2004; Nisbet 1996; Utsey, Hook, and Stanard 2007). The apparent lack of suicidal tendencies among black women compared to their white, nonwhite, and male counterparts is referred to in suicide literature as the black-white suicide paradox (Rockett, Samora, and Coben 2006). The black-white suicide paradox seeks to understand how black women fare in a world where they should be just as suicide prone as their white and nonwhite counterparts. While social scientists acknowledge this paradox (Lester 1998; Rockett et al. 2006; Taylor-Gibbs 1997), few studies have examined suicidal behavior among black women. This is in part because suicide is considered to be a problem that 743908S RDXXX10.
Critical examinations of epistemology argue that White men have established the guidelines for scientific knowledge. Because other groups were never allotted the opportunity to contribute to the immense knowledge base, the Western scientific knowledge base remains deficient. The author calls for a more inclusive knowledge base that includes the voices of Black women in the field of psychology. This inclusion is critical to better equip mental health clinicians to handle the unique needs of this population. This article offers a historical analysis of the intricate relationship between race and scientific knowledge. The author examines how the close-knit relationship between race and science has directly influenced the existing scientific knowledge gaps surrounding Black women in the field of psychology and calls for literature to offer a more comprehensive view of Black women's experiences. BioKamesha Spates is currently an assistant professor of sociology at Colorado State University-Pueblo. Her areas of specialization include the intersections of race, class, and gender; the African American experience; criminology; and mental health.
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