Gregory Washington

African-American Boys in Relative Care and a Culturally Centered Group Mentoring Approach

ABSTRACT An innovative culturally centered group mentoring intervention is piloted with African-American boys in a relative caregiver program in Memphis. The integration of the Afrocentric conceptual framework is described. Its appropriateness for a group of at-risk urban youth is discussed. The implementation strategy includes promoting spirituality via a culturally centered mentoring approach. Spirituality is emphasized as a potential protective factor and is explored with a unique short questionnaire. The perceptions of the relative caregivers are also measured in an attempt to gauge influence of the intervention. Outcomes indicating a slight increase in spiritual orientation among the youth and improved school and home behavior are discussed, as are the limitations of this innovative culturally centered group mentoring effort. Strategies for further evaluation research are also provided.

Young African-American Male Suicide Prevention and Spirituality

ABSTRACT This article addresses the increased rates of suicide among young African American males during the 1980s and 1990s that has influenced a call for suicide prevention strategies. A review of the literature about substance abuse as a risk factor for the trauma of suicidal behavior and spirituality as a potential protective factor are discussed. An original report of research findings by the authors, which suggest a relationship between spirituality and healthy drug attitudes, are discussed along with implications for suicide prevention programs with young African Americans.

Young African-American Males and Culturally Centered Prevention

ABSTRACT This article addresses the need for culturally centered prevention programs that are designed to address the challenges that contribute to the disproportionate victimization and incarceration of young African-American males. There is a discussion about three factors that may predispose these youth for social problems. The article includes recommendations for culturally centered prevention interventions that address the identified predisposing factors.

Positive Manhood Development: A Look at Approaches and Concerns from the Frontline

This mixed methods study, using the perspectives of administrators and frontline workers, identified the key developmental needs of African American boys involved in manhood development programs. Five conceptual themes emerged: values and behavior; men needed for guidance; successful organizations; economics and systems; and stable quality parenting. Themes from the conceptual clusters are compared to themes in the positive youth development literature, specifically the 40 developmental assets framework proposed by the Search Institute. The resulting distinctive ecological focus is rarely discussed in the youth development literature and may have implications for youth development interventions that target positive African American manhood development.

Manhood Seekers Camp: A Proposal for a Culturally-Centered Camp Intervention.

ABSTRACT This article addresses the need for therapeutic camps to support the disportionate number of African-American children in out of home foster care and group home placements. A brief review of literature on camp interventions and their failure to adequately address the influence of ethnicity and culture is provided. A pilot of a small culturally centered therapeutic camp intervention for African-American boys in foster care is reviewed and the impressions of the African-American male facilitators are described and discussed. Although limited sample size prohibited statistical analysis, results suggest the need to further evaluate innovative culturally-centered interventions that are designed to target traditional values and factors that influence positive African-American male development.

African American rites of passage interventions: A vehicle for utilizing African American male elders

ABSTRACT There is a dearth of information regarding African American males and their service to boys as unrelated, concerned adults. While rites of passage programs provide a strong space for the growth of young Black males to develop, there is a need for more literature on what motivates and how to recruit and retain African American men to mentor. This article discusses central components of traditional mentoring and rites of passage programs and the experiences of a group of African American men in Memphis, Tennessee, who have mentored for an after-school rites of passage project. The authors provide recommendations for recruiting and training African American men to utilize rites of passage activities to promote the healthy development of African American male youth.

Reducing Risk for Youth Violence by Promoting Healthy Development with Pyramid Mentoring: A Proposal for a Culturally Centered Group Mentoring

This article proposes ways to promote healthy psychosocial development among at-risk young African American males with a multigenerational culturally centered group mentoring intervention. The potential for addressing commonalities of risk factors for both internalized and externalized responses to environment stressors is discussed. The authors propose an innovative group intervention that is influenced by social learning theory, the triadic theory of influence, identity, and cognitive development theory. The article also highlights research that suggests benefits of culturally and therapeutically centered group mentoring. The focus of the proposed intervention is on psychosocial assets that are utilized to nurture life skills developed within the framework of a culturally centered multigenerational group mentoring process called pyramid mentoring.

Promoting the Health of Men: Concepts and Strategies

The condition, status, style, and health of African American men have consistently been observed, discussed, and critiqued in a wide range of settings from the barbershop to the academic laboratory. Since before the Jamestown settlement of the early 1600s, they have been coveted and feared because of their strength, courage, intelligence, agility, and creativity. Today, the range of influence of African American men extends from the political brilliance of President Barrack Obama to the perceived criminal intent of Trevon Martin. The disproportionate poor health and incarceration rates of African American men have proven impervious to all attempts to significantly reduce them. These men continue to be one of the most underserved and imprisoned populations in the United States (Alexander, 2012). This special issue on young African American male health focuses on aspects of violence, culture, and gender as key concepts that must be discussed, understood, and integrated into strategies to promote the emotional, mental, and behavioral health of young African American males. The full breadth of issues impacting the health of young African American males is complex and beyond the scope of this special issue. However, the guest editor has compiled the work of scholars who focus most of their work on the emotional, mental, and behavioral well-being of young African American males in urban communities. In this introduction, three of the most salient themes in the work of the authors (violence, culture, and gender) will be briefly discussed.

A Comprehensive Insight on Men Healing Men and Communities Network (MHMCN)

These days, the complexity of community problems cannot be easily addressed by historic and traditional interventions. Addressing community problems requires the integration of innovative strategies, techniques, and best practices grounded from evidence-based research. The purpose of this report is to provide comprehensive insight into the creation and implementation of the Men Healing Men and Communities Network (MHMCN) initiative. This case report reviews the efforts of human service professionals, community volunteers and university social work faculty; who together, serve as catalysts for change to create, develop, and nurture the mission and vision of MHMCN in Memphis, Tennessee. Unlike other initiatives that merely add to the knowledge that professionals and volunteers already possess, MHMCN sought to ignite ideas and insights that immediately translate into transformative action.