Report: Psychology field ignores
what makes black youths strong I
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The field of psychological
has ignored the incredible
resiliancy of African-American
youths and has chosen instead
to focus on their risk factors and
the negative results of them.
That is the paramount find
ing of a study recently released
by the nation's most respected
psychological organization.
The American
Psychological Association's
Task Force on Resilience and
Strength in Black Children and
Adolescents calls for reframing
research to better understand
"how certain factors traditional
ly considered risk factors can be
re-conceptualized as adaptive or
protective processes."
The seven-member task
force was headed by UNC
Greensboro Professor Dr.
Stephanie Irby Coard. The task
force reviewed 450 studies and
surveys of African-American
youth age 5 to 21 across all
socioeconomic conditions and
geographical areas to under
UNCG professor leads
task force to findings
stand how factors such as racial
identity, racial socialization,
emotional regulation and
expression, reli
giosity, and
school and family
support can pre
pare African
American chil
dren and adoles
cents to thrive in
spite of various
societal chal
lenges.
The task force
concluded that
positive attitudes
and behaviors that
contribute to the
strengths of these young people
were de-emphasized in research
and the current conceptions of
African-American youth don't
address healthy coping, adjust
ment and overall functioning.
* There is no clear template
Coard
for how to ensure that African
American children reach their
full potential - but there is hope.
according to the task
force.
It called for
future research to
consider the com
plexities of racial,
ethnic, and cultural
factors as well as
positive family envi
ronments and social
support as key vari
ables in identifying
the "protective
mechanisms" that
are so important in
promoting strength
and resilience among African
American youth.
"Institutional racism and
societal prejudice place all
African- American youth,
including well-resourced youth,
at some degree of risk," said
Irby Coard. "Understanding
what makes them strong
requires acknowledging their
experience here in the United
States and how discrimination
affects their daily lives. The
study of success is just as
important as the study of fail
ure."
Research has shown that
diverse cultural groups have
different ways of enhancing
positive outcomes for their chil
dren. African- American family
life often encompasses racial
identity, spirituality and a set of
shared values that are crucial
for children's resilience.
Keys to a "thriving or opti
mal functioning for African
American youth" are: active
engagement, flexibility, com
munalism and critical-minded
ness, according to the task
force:
A full text of the report is
available from at
http://wwwMpa.org/releases/RS
BCAreport0608draftfinal .pdf.
Faith
from page A1
is helping it along."
Customers can currently
access more than 500 stores
through Faith Rewards. Retail
glints like Wal-Mart, Target,
Apple and Nike have all
agreed to contribute a percent
age of the sales generated by
the site back to the faith based
organization designated by the
consumer. This is good news
for the consumer and the
church, says Gibson, a former
Bank of America executive.
Gibson is well-known in
the Charlotte area. His wife is
popular WCNC-anchor Sonja
Gantt and his father-in-law is
Harvey Gantt, a former mayor
of Charlotte and two-time can
didate for the U.S. Senate.
Being heavily involved in
the capital campaign of
Friendship Missionary Baptist
Church in Charlotte, where he
is a longtime member, Gibson
says he noticed how difficult it
was for churches to raise
money for the programs and
services they support.
"It leaves very little money
to do any kind of mission work
when you're just trying to pay
the bills of the church," he
commented.
Traditional methods, like
tithing, are not garnering as
much income as they once did,
he added.
"Tithing is an important0
thing in the Christian church,
but only three percent of peo
ple tithe," he said. "Even
though people are still strong
in their faith, the pressures of
society... unfortunately take a
front row."
In addition to supporting
their churches through shop
ping. Faith' Rewards visitors
can also help oift fellow con
gregants by supporting the
businesses they represent,
Gibson says.
Sie site features Web
for participating church
es, where members can adver
tise their small businesses for a
nominal fee. The directory
allows church members to sup
port one another and generates
additional income for the
church, which receives 25 per
cent of the advertising fees.
The online directory is a
favorite among pastors,
Gibson says, as many have
reported fielding requests for
such listings from members
for years.
Creating the site was a sac
rifice for Gibson, who dug
deep into his own pockets to
get the business up and run
ning, but he says it was well
worth the effort.
"I had to take a leap Jof
faith and believe that what I In
doing will ultimately serve
God," he said. "I really think
this is something that we need
to make available."
Rev. Dr. Frank Ison, super
intendent of the United
Methodist Church's
Greensboro district, forwarded
information about the site to
each of the 74 churches he
oversees.
"I thought it was an inno
vative idea," he said of the
site, o
While shopping on Faith
Rewards may help churches
gain economic income, Ison
was quick to assert that such
contributions should not take
the place of tithing.
"We're not looking for a
consumers' mentality; we're
looking for a commitment," he
said. "The kind of giving
we're looking for... (requires)
folks to step up to the plate and
offer first fruits to God. Don't
give God your leftovers."
Cancer
from page A7
and communicators, stream
line appointments, help patients
identify and access financial
services, help patients arrive at
scheduled appointments on
time and prepared, serve as a
support system with respect to
cultural issues, and help the
patient utilize appropriate social
services.
What is the history of patient
navigation programs?
Dr. Harold P. Freeman, an
oncologist from the Harlem
Hospital Center in New York
City, saw that many of his
patients came to him with very
advanced cancer. He was con
cerned that these patients had
"fallen through the cracks" of
the medical system. He there
fore created the first patient
navigation program to help
women with breast cancer.
Is there a current
recommendation for patient
navigation programs?
In 2001 the President's
Cancer Panel issued a report
titled "Voices of a Broken
System." This report is based on
the testimony of American peo
pie who sought treatment for
cancer. Based upon this report,
the panel's principal recommen
dation included patient naviga
tor programs to help people
obtain cancer information
screening and treatment. The
patient navigation offers a sup
port system of helping people
alleviate the burdens of patients
seeking care in a broken health
care system. o
In. June 2005, the Patient
Navigator, Outreach and
Chronic Disease Prevention
Act was signed into law by the
President of the United States.
This act will provide $25 mil
lion in grants. The money will
help build and run navigation
programs.
Has research shown that
patient navigator programs
are effective?
A recent study from Emory
University showed that imple
mentation of patient navigation
programs may lead to a signifi
cant shift in the Stage at which
breast cancer is diagnosed in
African- American women.
Women in this navigation pro
gram were two times as likely
to be diagnosed with early
breast cancer compared to more
advanced breast cancer.
Are there current navigation
programs in our area?
Numerous evaluations of
medical care issues in patients
with breast cancer found that
women of color were more like
ly to present with advanced can
cer and less likely to undergo
aggressive treatment of their
disease. It is against this back
drop that the Wake Forest
University School of Medicine
has implemented the Survivors
in Service (SIS) navigation sys
tem that takes minority women
with breast cancer through the
"critical window of opportunity
for cure" described above. This
network leverages some of the
resources available to patients
here at Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center as well
as external social support
resources.
- Contribution by John H.
Stewart IV, MD
Do you need further infor
mation or have questions or
comments about this article?
Please call toll-free 1-877-530
1824. Or, for more information
about the Maya Angelou
Research Center on Minority
Health, please visit our website:
http://www.wfubmc edu/minorit
v health.
Grant will aid
food bank's efforts
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Wal-mart this week presented
Second Harvest Food Bank of
Northwest NC with a check for
$53.50() during the graduation
ceremony of the organization's
Triad Community Kitchen Theta
Class.
The money will help support
the Triad Community Kitchen
program as well as
Second Harvest Food
Bank's primary food
distribution program,
which serves as a sig
nificant source of
food for nearly 400
non-profit organiza
tions in 18 Northwest
NC counties.
"We're well
aware of the chal
lenges Second
Harvest hood Bank is racing right
now in terms of the growing need
for food assistance among fami
lies that rely on its partner agen
cies for help and we wanted to do
more," said Jeff Powell, District
Manager for Wal-mart and a
Second Harvest Food Bank board
member. Wal-mart serves these
communities as well and is com
mitted to supporting the organiza
tion's efforts to help ensure no
one goes hungry in Northwest
NC."
Wal-mart is a year-round sup
porter of Second Harvest Food
Bank and 205 other member food
banks of America's Second
Harvest - The Nation's Food
Bank Network, providing dona
tions of food and funds and
encouraging employee volun
teerism. The nationwide partner
Griswold
ship began as a collaborative
response to the aftermath of
Hurricanes Katnna and Rita. The
partnership continues today at the
corporate and community level to
address the daily tragedy of
hunger in communities across
America.
National donors like Wal
mart, General Mills and others
were consulted on the
decision of the
America's Second
Harvest Network to
change its name. In
September 2008,
America's Second
Harvest will become
Feeding America.
Food Bank
Executive Director
Nan Griswold notes
that Second Harvest
Food Bank of
Northwest NC has begun the
work to consider changing its
name to reflect the new name of
its national organization. For
example, work with focus groups
will begin later this month. The
organization's leaders are in
agreement that this work is
important and necessary. At the
same time, there is agreement that
the organization cannot waiver in
its work to address current short
ages coupled with increased
demand for food assistance. To
that end. Second Harvest Food
Bank will be working with a
number of community partners
on initiatives for Hunger Action
Month. For more information
about ways to get involved in
Hunger Action Month locally,
visit wwwiiungemwnc.org.
EVERYTHING MUST GO!!!
GOING OUT OF BUSINESS SALE
AUTHENTIC AFRICAN ART AND
ARTIFACTS
Pan African Imagery, Incorporated
1321 Lawrence Street
Winston-Salem. NC 27101
(336) 722-2070
Tuesday thru Friday 1 1 :00 AM - 5:0() PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
grab =1 Coke
refresh your flow
r i
Stock up on Coca-Cola products.
And go back to school refreshed.