This thesis explores the effects that skin color, discrimination, and religious coping have on Black Americans’ mental health. Using colorism as a theoretical framework I ask two research questions, How does everyday discrimination and skin color influence the mental health of young Black Americans? How do gender and religion mediate the impact of discrimination and skin color on mental health? This thesis utilizes data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), 1994-2008. The dependent variables used in this thesis are the mental health measures depression diagnosis and feeling disliked. The primary independent variable in this thesis is interviewer reported skin color. My findings indicate that there is skin color variation among mental health outcomes. I find that the two mental health outcomes depression diagnosis and feeling disliked showed different outcomes. Lighter skin respondents reported more experiences of depression diagnosis and darker skin respondents reported more experiences of feeling disliked. The findings in this thesis show how colorism can influence skin color differences in mental health. I also show how skin color variation can be influenced by the way that mental health is being measured for Black Americans.

People of African descent living in the United States subscribe to a variety of racial self-identification labels. Given their historical and political meaning, ‘Black’ or ‘African American’ have been the two most common self-identification terms used by this population yet increasing immigration rates among people of African descent from the Caribbean have diversified the racial label preferences. Past research suggests age, gender, education, and region are factors that influence racial identification preferences for Black people in the United States. This study contributes by examining how experiences of discrimination and ethnicity/nativity impact racial self-labeling among people of African descent living in the United States. Analyzing the National Survey of American Life, I find that experiences with major forms of discrimination and nativity condition racial labeling preferences, and differently for those born in the US and those with ties to the Caribbean. Additionally, these findings indicate that age, household income, educational attainment and region significantly predict racial identification labels. This study encourages scholars to think critically about the racial labels they use to speak about African descendants living in the United States in order to more accurately disentangle intra-racial group differences relating to social mobility, racism, and racial inequality.

People of African descent living in the United States subscribe to a variety of racial self-identification labels. Given their historical and political meaning, ‘Black’ or ‘African American’ have been the two most common self-identification terms used by this population yet increasing immigration rates among people of African descent from the Caribbean have diversified the racial label preferences. Past research suggests age, gender, education, and region are factors that influence racial identification preferences for Black people in the United States. This study contributes by examining how experiences of discrimination and ethnicity/nativity impact racial self-labeling among people of African descent living in the United States. Analyzing the National Survey of American Life, I find that experiences with major forms of discrimination and nativity condition racial labeling preferences, and differently for those born in the US and those with ties to the Caribbean. Additionally, these findings indicate that age, household income, educational attainment and region significantly predict racial identification labels. This study encourages scholars to think critically about the racial labels they use to speak about African descendants living in the United States in order to more accurately disentangle intra-racial group differences relating to social mobility, racism, and racial inequality.

This study examines the discrepancy between the mission and internal practices of social justice organizations (SJOs), specifically focusing on the perspectives of Black workers from RISE, a prominent California-based SJO. It explores how RISE through the perspectives of Black activists, while purporting to advance social justice, simultaneously engages in organizational performative activism – superficial advocacy and support that undermines genuine progress – which can lead to the exploitation and harm of Black workers. Through interviews with Black workers at RISE, the study explores how organizational performative activism and mission drift affect workers’ mental health, professional growth, job satisfaction, belonging, and well-being. Findings reveal that despite RISE’s public commitment to diversity and inclusion, Black workers perceive that its internal practices often fail to align with these values leading to mental exhaustion, trust erosion, and professional stagnation. This study highlights the intersectional disparate impacts between Black men and women, with women facing more acute emotional labor based on race and gender identity, and men encountering systemic exclusion based on race. To address these issues, the study recommends that SJOs align their stated values with their practices to support and advance their Black workers genuinely. Additionally, the findings provide actionable recommendations for organizational policy and suggest directions for future empirical research on social justice organizations.

Keywords: Organizational performative activism, Black workers, social justice organizations, missions, mission drift, well-being, belonging, intersectionality, exploitation.

Previous research has shown an association between racism-related stress and negative health outcomes among African Americans and the moderating effect of coping strategies on this relationship. Yet, scant attention has been paid to this relationship for two of the largest minority groups in the United States: Asians and Latinos/as. Using the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and a framework derived from stress process and biopsychosocial models, this study examines the relationship between self-reported racism-related stress, coping strategies, and self-rated general health among Asians and Latinas/os in the U.S. Findings demonstrate that racism-related stress has a negative effect on the general health of Asians and Latinas/os; however, and contrary to research to prior research, coping strategies do not moderate this relationship. This study contributes to health disparities research by documenting racism as a stressor that negatively impacts the health of Asians and Latinos/as and the limits of coping strategies to moderate this relationship.

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