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09-09-2022 | Original Paper

“They Just Keep Coming”: A Study of How Anti-Black Racial Violence Informs Racial Grief and Resistance Among Black Mothers

Auteurs: Seanna Leath, Sheretta Butler-Barnes, Latoya Haynes-Thoby

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies | Uitgave 12/2022

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Abstract

Scholars have begun to address how exposure to vicarious racial violence influences stress and coping processes among Black families in the U.S. Yet, fewer scholars have considered the importance of racial grief as a component of the coping process. The current study drew upon semi-structured interview data from 31 Black mothers in the U.S. (25–52 years; Mage = 35 years) to explore how mothers processed and responded to vicarious anti-Black racial violence. We used consensual qualitative research methods and identified the following themes: (a) recognizing the endemic nature of racial violence, (b) feeling frozen in fear after a new case of racial violence, and (c) transforming grief into grievance as a route to racial justice. The findings contextualize Black mothers’ concerns about the racial violence that they and their children might experience during their lifetime, and how they channel this grief into actionable change against racial injustice. Authors discuss strengths-based ways to frame the role of grief and loss in the context of racism.
Voetnoten
1
Given the focus of the study, we intentionally name several individuals who were harmed or killed due to anti-Black racialized violence. Table 1 includes brief, specific details about each case for those who are less familiar with these incidents.
 
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Metagegevens
Titel
“They Just Keep Coming”: A Study of How Anti-Black Racial Violence Informs Racial Grief and Resistance Among Black Mothers
Auteurs
Seanna Leath
Sheretta Butler-Barnes
Latoya Haynes-Thoby
Publicatiedatum
09-09-2022
Uitgeverij
Springer US
Gepubliceerd in
Journal of Child and Family Studies / Uitgave 12/2022
Print ISSN: 1062-1024
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2843
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02421-y