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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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#NNPA BlackPress

Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

3 days ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

Published

4 days ago

May 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”

Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

#NNPA BlackPress

WATCH: Five Years After George Floyd: Full Panel Discussion | Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real | Live Podcast Event

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Published

5 days ago

May 28, 2025

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=OsNLWTz6jU0&feature=oembed

May 25, 2020. The world stopped and watched as a life was taken.

But what has happened since?

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

She shares reflections, insights, and the story of a community forever changed. What has a year truly meant, and where do we go from here?

This is more than just a date; it’s a moment in history. See what one leader in the Black press has to say about it.

Recorded live at UROC in Minneapolis, this powerful discussion features:

Panelists: