“Easier Said Than Done”: A Qualitative Investigation of Black Emerging Adults Coping With Multilevel Racism

OBJECTIVES: This qualitative investigation examined how Black emerging adults cope with their worst experiences of racism at multiple levels (individual, cultural, and institutional). METHODS: A sample of 189 Black emerging adults (M age = 19.34, 68.3% female) from a predominantly White institution completed an online questionnaire with an open-ended question regarding their worst experience of racism and how they coped. Responses to these questions were coded using deductive coding schemes based on established theory-Jones' (1997) tripartite model of racism and Harrell's (2000) typology of coping. RESULTS: Results indicated that the majority of participants utilized active and inner-directed coping strategies in response to their worst experience. More participants responded to institutional-level racism with active rather than passive coping. There were no differences in proportions of participants who responded to individual- or cultural-level racism with active rather than passive coping. Similar proportions of participants also reported inner-directed versus outer-directed coping in response to individual-, cultural-, and institutional-level experiences. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for practice, policy, and programming to support the mental health of Black emerging adults are discussed.