Black Women's Gendered Racial Identity and Correlates

Gendered racial identity is defined as the significance and meaning Black women ascribe to their membership in both Black and woman groups (Jones & Day, 2018). Some Black women perceive their race and gender as intersectional, whereas other may prioritize one identity over the other. As such, women may have diverse perspectives regarding their perceptions of, experiences with, and engagement with their Black womanhood. Accordingly, we have developed a scale to assess variations in Black women's gendered racial identity and are currently utilizing this scale to examine potential mental health correlates.

For more information about the scale, please contact Dominique Doty at DominiqueDoty@my.unt.edu.

Cultural-Gender Role (Gendered-Racial) Archetypes and Wellness in Black and Latinx Women

Cultural-gender role archetypes refer to norms and expectations around appropriate behavior that vary depending on the intersection of one's race and gender. For example, the Strong Black Woman ideology is a cultural-gender role archetype that is commonly held by Black women, whereas Marianismo is an ideal held by some Latinx women. We seek to understand how endorsement of various cultural-gender role archetypes are related to outcomes and behaviors including help-seeking and psychological well-being, particularly for Black women and Latinx women.

Black College Student Mental Health

Black students contend with culturally specific concerns (e.g., discrimination), which can undermine their mental health and academic performance. Yet, they are less likely to receive support from mental health professionals in college counseling centers, which in turn may contribute to chronic mental health concerns. Using secondary data extracted from the Healthy Minds Study and qualitative interviews with Black college students, this project examines the extent to which institutional climate contributes to mental health and service use among Black students attending a Predominately White Institution and Minority Serving Institution. This project is funded by the University of Michigan National Center for Institutional Diversity.

Invincible Black Women (Counseling)

Black college women present to counseling with an array of culturally distinct mental health concerns, which substantiate the necessity for culturally responsive outreach and intervention targeted at this demographic. Accordingly, we developed and seek to examine the effectiveness of "Invincible Black Women," a 9-week culturally relevant interpersonal process group, with Black women in college (Jones & Pritchett-Johnson, 2018). This project is funded by the American Psychological Foundation and University of Michigan National Center for Institutional Diversity.
[Graduate students in Counseling or Clinical Psychology]

Supporting Black Women (Organization/Community Initiative)

The strong Black woman is a widely accepted archetype of Black womanhood characterized by independence, emotional strength, and self-sacrifice. Though a badge of honor for many Black women, the internalization of the ideals has negative implications for Black women's wellness. The organization, SBW Wellness Collaborative (IG: @sbw.selfcare), spearheaded by Drs. Martinque Jones and Akilah Reynolds, hosts two annual programs. "Masks Off: Reclaiming the Strong Black Woman" is a community initiative intended to help Black women redefine strength in a way that enhances wellness in their lives. STRONG: Sisters Taking Risk on Growth, is a 90 minute three part workshop that aims to help Black college women explore and understand the implications of strength for wellness. Workshops are scheduled for the University of North Texas, Stanford University, and the University of California-Los Angeles during the 2020-2021 academic year. The community program is sponsored by the American Psychological Association Office on Early Career Psychologists, whereas the workshop is sponsored by the American Psychological Association Division 45 Small Practice Grant.

Want to host a STRONG workshop on your campus?

Email Dr. Martinque Jones @martinque.jones@unt.edu