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Study Investigates the Everyday Wear and Tear of Racism on Black Couples

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The surveys measured aspects of relationship quality, including satisfaction, trust, and intimacy; the frequency and impact of experiencing 20 different daily experiences of racial discrimination, and how participants were feeling each day, ranging from “angry,” “ashamed,” and “dejected” to “cheerful,” “excited” and “happy.”

Published

3 years ago

July 22, 2022

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

A new study has revealed growing evidence that everyday experiences of discrimination in general, and racial discrimination in particular, are associated with adverse relationship outcomes, including decreased relationship satisfaction and increased relationship instability and strain.

“The Relational Wear and Tear of Everyday Racism Among African American Couples,” published June 30 in Psychological Science, found that the wear and tear of adapting to chronic stressors such as racism and discrimination can have detrimental effects on mental and physical health.

The authors from Cornell University investigated the broader implications of everyday racism for relationship quality in an adult sample of 98 heterosexual African American couples. According to the authors, participants reported their experiences of racial discrimination and positive and negative affect for 21 consecutive evenings.

Using dyadic analyses, researchers found that independently of age, gender, marital status, income, racial-discrimination frequency, neuroticism, and mean levels of affect, participants’ relationship quality was inversely associated with their partner’s negative affective reactivity to racial discrimination.

“Associations did not vary by gender, suggesting that the effects of affective reactivity were similar for men and women,” the authors noted in an abstract from the report.

They said the findings highlight the importance of a dyadic approach and call for further research examining the role of everyday racism as a critical source of stress in the lives of African American couples.

“These findings advance our understanding of the social effects of everyday racism and the various ways it can impinge on the interpersonal flourishing of African American couples,” Anthony Ong, professor of psychology in the College of Human Ecology (CHE) and professor of gerontology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, told the Cornell Chronicle.

Ong led the study with co-authors Dr. Betül Urganci, Anthony Burrow, the Ferris Family Associate Professor of Life Course Studies in the Department of Psychology, and Tracy DeHart, associate professor of psychology at Loyola University Chicago.

Approximately 100 Chicago area Black couples completed online surveys about their daily experience for 21 consecutive evenings, the Cornell Chronicle reported.

Participants, on average, were 36 years old and had been in their current relationship for about seven years.

The surveys measured aspects of relationship quality, including satisfaction, trust, and intimacy; the frequency and impact of experiencing 20 different daily experiences of racial discrimination, and how participants were feeling each day, ranging from “angry,” “ashamed,” and “dejected” to “cheerful,” “excited” and “happy.”

“The team compared changes in reported moods and feelings – known as “affective reactivity” – on days when they did or did not experience discrimination,” the Chronicle reported.

“The researchers controlled for variables including age, gender, marital status, income and frequency of discrimination, as well as how easily stressed participants said they were typical.”

The authors continued the results showed an inverse association between relationship quality and heightened affective reactivity to everyday racism.

Regardless of gender, study participants said a partner’s anger, depression, or humiliation from a racist experience spilled over into their relationship. One consequence was lower levels of passion or intimacy.

In addition, the effects were more significant when negative feelings intensified versus when positive feelings diminished.

The Chronicle noted further that spillover stress impacts on intimate relationships had been widely reported. However, researchers said the new study is the first to analyze that process in the context of African American couples.

They said the findings highlight the importance of considering everyday racial discrimination as an interpersonal phenomenon and suggest clinical interventions could be designed to help teach couples how to regulate responses more effectively to the strain of daily experiences.

“These findings suggest more attention should be paid to the effects of racism-related stress in African American couples,” Ong told the Chronicle.

“Among whom heightened affective reactivity to daily encounters of racial discrimination may reflect an embedded history of racism.”

The authors stated that, relative to white Americans, Black people consistently report more experiences of unfair treatment and discrimination at every level of age, gender, and socioeconomic status.

Moreover, the authors wrote that studies had documented consistent associations between reports of discrimination and various mental and physical health indicators among African Americans.

Citing the daily data collected from African American couples as a critical strength of their study, the authors noted limitations, including potential memory bias in self-reported data, and called for further research.

“How African American couples respond to and are affected by each other’s experiences of everyday racial discrimination,” they wrote, “thus remains a critical direction for future research.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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EXCLUSIVE OP-ED: President Joe Biden Commemorating Juneteenth

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — “I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.”

Published

3 days ago

June 20, 2025

admin

By Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
46th President of the United States: 2021—2025

The people of Galveston, Texas, have been commemorating Juneteenth since the Civil War ended. Yesterday, in honor of the 160^th anniversary, I went there to join them.

You can read about the events of Juneteenth, but there’s nothing quite like going to Galveston and seeing where it all happened.

After General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, Union troops marched across the South for two months, freeing enslaved people along the way. Their final stop was Galveston, an island off the Gulf coast of Texas. There, on June 19, 1865, Union troops went to Reedy Chapel, a church founded in 1848 by enslaved people, and posted a document titled simply “General Order #3.”

“The people of Texas are informed,” it said, “that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

We can only imagine the joy that spread through Galveston – and across the state and nation – on that day and those that followed.

Yesterday, there was once again joy in Galveston, with a parade, picnic, and fireworks. There was also great solemnity, because Juneteenth is a sacred day – a day of weight and power.

The Book of Psalms tells us: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and the promise of that joyful morning to come.

As President, I had the great honor of signing the law declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was our nation’s first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was created in 1983.

Our federal holidays say a lot about who we are as a nation. We have holidays celebrating our independence… the laborers who build this nation… the servicemembers who served and died in its defense.

And now, we also have a national holiday dedicated to the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

Signing that law was one of my proudest acts as President.

Yet for 156 years, Juneteenth was not written about in textbooks or taught in classrooms. Still today, there are those who say it does not deserve a holiday. They don’t want to remember the moral stain of slavery and the terrible harm it did to our country.

I’ve always believed that we need to be honest about our history, especially in the face of ongoing efforts to erase it. Darkness can hide much, but it erases nothing. Only with truth can come healing, justice, and repair.

I also believe that it’s not enough to commemorate the past. We must also embrace the obligation we have to the future. As Scripture says, “Faith without works is dead.” And right now, we Americans need to keep the faith and do the work.

In honor of Juneteenth, let’s help people register to vote.

For decades, we fought to expand voting rights in America. Now we’re living in an era when relentless obstacles are being thrown in the way of people trying to vote. We can’t let those tactics defeat us. In America, the power belongs with the people. And the way we show that power is by voting.

So let’s reach out to family, friends and neighbors – especially those who have never voted before. Remind them that with voting, anything is possible. And without it, nothing is possible.

Yesterday in Galveston, we gathered in Reedy Chapel to commemorate Juneteenth, just like people have done for 160 years and counting. We prayed, sang, and read General Order #3 again. The pews were full of families. How many people must have prayed for freedom inside those walls. How many must have sent fervent thanks to God when slavery finally ended.

I remembered the words of my late friend John Lewis. He said, “Freedom is not a state. It is an act.”

Juneteenth did not mark the end of America’s work to deliver on the promise of equality. It only marked the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we must continue to work toward that promise. For our freedom. For our democracy. And for America itself.

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#NNPA BlackPress

Cities Across the U.S. Shrink or Cancel Juneteenth Events as DEI Support Wanes

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship.

Published

4 days ago

June 19, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

Across the country, Juneteenth celebrations are being scaled back or eliminated as public funding dries up and corporations withdraw sponsorship. In many communities, the once-growing recognition of the holiday is facing sharp resistance tied to the unraveling of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

In Denver, Colorado, the annual Juneteenth Music Festival, one of the largest in the nation—was cut from two days to one. Organizers said more than a dozen corporate sponsors walked away from commitments, leaving them with a financial gap that almost canceled the event. Norman Harris, the festival’s executive director, said several companies “pulled back their investments or let us know they couldn’t or wouldn’t be in a position to support this year.” Harris credited grassroots donors and small businesses for stepping in when larger backers stepped aside.

In Colorado Springs, the local celebration was relocated to the Citadel Mall parking lot after support from previous sponsors disappeared. Organizers noted that where there were once dozens of corporate partners, only five remained. The downsized event was pieced together with limited resources, but community leaders said they refused to let the holiday go unacknowledged.

Scottsdale, Arizona, canceled its Juneteenth observance after the city council voted to dissolve its diversity, equity, and inclusion office in February. Without the office in place, the city offered no support for planning or funding, leaving residents without an official celebration.

In San Diego, the Cooper Family Foundation lost a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that had been earmarked for Juneteenth programming. Organizers said the decision forced them to personally finance key elements of the event, including cultural exhibits, performances, and youth engagement activities.

Bend, Oregon, called off its Juneteenth event entirely. Organizers cited political tensions and safety concerns, saying they could not secure the partnerships needed to proceed. A public statement from the planning committee described the current climate as “increasingly volatile,” making it difficult to host a safe and inclusive event.

West Virginia, which has recognized Juneteenth as a paid state holiday since 2017, will not sponsor any official events this year. State leaders pointed to budget constraints and recent decisions to eliminate DEI programming across agencies as the reasons for stepping away from public observance.

Austin, Texas, has also reduced its Juneteenth programming. While the city has not canceled events outright, organizers said diminished city support and fewer private contributions forced them to focus only on core activities.

“Thankfully, there was a wide range of support that came when we made the announcement that the celebration is in jeopardy,” said Harris. “But it shows how fragile that support has become.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

Juneteenth and President Trump

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Juneteenth is a day for African Americans in this nation to connect to their ancestry. It honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The primary focus is freedom and the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

Published

4 days ago

June 19, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

President Trump is set to proclaim the federal observance of Juneteenth as the White House is open for business on this holiday. The White House says the president will sign a “historic proclamation designating Juneteenth as a National Day of Observance, marking the 160th anniversary of General Order Number 3 in Galveston, Texas.” The declaration was that “all slaves are free.” This Trump proclamation, according to the White House, “will celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation, the Republican Party’s role in passing the 13th Amendment, and reaffirm the administration’s dedication to equal justice and prosperity for all.”

This proclamation comes as President Trump has denounced Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and anything Woke. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom from the tyranny of 250 years of slavery after the Civil War.

The Juneteenth celebration started when Union troops reached Galveston, Texas, and told the slaves that they were free on June 19, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was created.

The Emancipation Proclamation, which is on display in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House, was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It established that all enslaved people in Confederate states in rebellion against the Union “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”

Juneteenth is a day for African Americans in this nation to connect to their ancestry. It honors the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. The primary focus is freedom and the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

The Juneteenth federal holiday was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden on June 19, 2021. This Trump White House is in full swing today, with a press briefing by Karoline Leavitt, not taking the federal holiday off. Also, President Trump will receive an intelligence briefing in the morning and participate in a swearing-in ceremony for the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.