The Program for Research on Black Americans’ Contributions to Sociology: A Review of the Literature

This article has three goals. The first is to explain the contributions of the Program for Research on Black Americans (PRBA) to the field of sociology. The second is to provide a review of the scope of research conducted by PRBA scholars. This review covers research on Black families, marriage and romantic relationships, racial socialization, interpersonal violence, negative interactions, religious participation and spirituality, religion and mental health, social support, social isolation, mental and physical health, racism and discrimination, colorism, and Black politics. It also covers research on African American and Black Caribbean adolescents, adults, and older adults. The third goal of the article is a bibliometric analysis of National Survey of American Life (NSAL)–based publications including citation analysis, analysis of which journals have published the most NSAL-based articles, and authorship network analysis. The article ends with a brief discussion of our most recent data collection and a conclusion. The article shows that the PRBA, through its research, mentoring, and longevity, has met the criteria of Wright and Thomas’s principles of Black sociology.