EMBR ace: Developing a Racial Socialization Intervention to Reduce Racial Stress and Enhance Racial Coping among Black Parents and Adolescents

• Published in: Family process 2019-03, Vol.58 (1), p.53-67
• Main Authors: Anderson, Riana E., McKenny, Monique C., Stevenson, Howard C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0014-7370; 1545-5300
• DOI: 10.1111/famp.12412

Researchers have illustrated the deleterious psychological effects that racial discrimination has exerted on Black Americans. The resulting racial stress and trauma ( RST ) from experiences with discrimination has been linked to negative wellness outcomes and trajectories for Black youth and families. Racial socialization ( RS )—defined as the verbal and nonverbal messages that families use to communicate race to their children—can be a cultural strength and has been associated with positive outcomes in Black youth. Furthermore, the Racial Encounter Coping Appraisal and Socialization Theory ( RECAST ) encourages the frequent and competent use of RS between family members to cope with the negative impact of RST . Guided by RECAST , the purpose of this article is to describe the development of the Engaging, Managing, and Bonding through Race ( EMBR ace) intervention targeting the RS practices between Black adolescents and families. The authors explore current research on RST , discuss why traditional coping models for stress are inadequate for racially specific stressors, highlight RECAST as a burgeoning racial coping and socialization model, and describe how RS can be used as a tool to intervene within Black families. This is followed by a detailed description of the development and use of the EMBR ace intervention which seeks to reduce RST through RS psychoeducation and practice, stress management, and the promotion of bonding in Black families. This article aims to serve as an example of a culturally relevant RS intervention for Black families who may benefit from clinical treatment for psychological distress from racially discriminatory encounters. Los investigadores han ejemplificado los efectos psicológicos nocivos que han ejercido el racismo y la discriminación en los estadounidenses negros. El trauma y el estrés racial resultantes de las experiencias con la discriminación han estado ligados a los resultados y las trayectorias del bienestar negativo de los jóvenes negros y sus familias. La socialización racial — definida como los mensajes verbales y no verbales que usan las familias para comunicar la raza a sus hijos —puede ser una virtud cultural y se la ha asociado con resultados positivos en los jóvenes negros. Además, la “Teoría de socialización y apreciación para sobrellevar los encuentros raciales” ( RECAST , por sus siglas en inglés) estimula el uso frecuente y competente de la socialización racial entre familiares para hacer frente al efecto n