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Coronavirus has struck the entire world, and its effects are tragic for all. At the same time, coronavirus outbreaks in the United States for Blacks are more widespread. Tens of thousands of African Americans have lost lives, while uncertainty is abundant throughout the pandemic. The number of casualties from this crisis continues to rise for African Americans and is disproportionate in comparison to other ethnic and racial groups. There is a historical and contemporary epoch for African Americans linked to the existing state of coronavirus in this population. Critical race theory is utilized in the narrative and shows how the injustice of racism transformed the disparate health experiences in African Americans' coronavirus cases. Racism should be examined as a basic serious account for determinants of health that necessitate multiple manifestations of disparities. Social workers' responses to intertwined racism and health are indicated regarding the phenomena of coronavirus on this population.

AbstractThe social movement‐countermovement relationship is most often one of competition. The subject of police reform has become more complex after calls for greater restrictive police policies and the emergence of Blue Lives Matter. This study demonstrates how Blue Lives Matter acts as a countermovement to police reform, frame it in a historical context, explain why it appeals to sympathizers, and illustrate how it interacts with opposing groups and individuals. This study also assesses how Blue Lives Matter operates in direct opposition to Black Lives Matter and efforts for greater police accountability. The central theme of this literature addresses how the Blue Lives Matter Movement addresses competition, criticisms, and attitudes of Blue Lives Matter adherents and detractors in local and national contexts. This study questions if reconciliation between the stated objectives and tactics of the countermovement is possible without a change in police behavior and law enforcement practices. Conflict theories identify social constructionism as a process in social and countermovements.

AbstractColorism has a deleterious effect on cognition and health impacting populations. Among African Americans, colorism and social stratification based on skin complexion, has profound sociological effects. These social relationships in daily living show the health burden associated with colorism is enormous. Dark‐skinned African Americans have lower socioeconomic status, diminished prestige, and are less likely to hold elected offices compared to their lighter skin counterparts. This systematic review critically examines a wider scope of effects colorism has on African American adults, a topic not well understood and underexplored. To what extent does colorism impact the psychosocial, educational, and economic outcomes of African Americans? What is the evidence for the efficacy of colorism research associated with poor health? PRISMA guidelines, which consisted of a 27‐item checklist and a four‐phase flow diagram, were used to evaluate research studies. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify and summarize qualitative and quantitative studies. The findings illustrate that African Americans with darker skin are significantly impacted by prejudice solely because of the color of their skin. The multidimensionality of colorism within society for African Americans delineates further damaging impacts on human health. Implications for social and policy changes are discussed.

Racial socialization of African American youth has been found to be a buffer for some of theracial discrimination they face as youth. It denotes the manner by which parents communicateboth unspoken and explicit messages or ideas about the significance of one's nationality in abroader social context. Considering the important factor of skin color in the racial socializationof African American youth is needed as the world becomes increasingly multicultural. This studyprovides a descriptive analysis of the attitudes based on parental preferences towards skin colorof a sample of African American college students in a rural university in the Southern UnitedStates. Using Spearman's Rho and MultiCrit framework, the analysis reveals a strong correlationbetween parental preferences for a certain skin color and participants' skin preferences.Implications for social work and for the study of racial socialization are discussed.

Students of color experience academic, social, and emotional challenges due to colorism in schools. The purpose of this scoping review is to compare the experiences with colorism of students from varying racial backgrounds (African Americans, Native Americans, Asians, and Latin) in U.S. public schools. It is predicted that the understudied group of Latinx and indigenous students of color will uniquely experience colorism in academic settings when compared to African American and Asian students. A 30 article literature review utilizing search dates from 1990 to 2020 was conducted employing a scoping review framework. Themes emerged that include: the privileging of lighter skin and more Eurocentric features in academic outcomes, the complicated social status created for students of color experiencing colorism in schools, and the increased potential for emotional challenges as a result of colorism. This review highlights possible school reform efforts to affirm all skin tones, reduce colorist biases, and offer mediation to mitigate colorist experiences in the school environment.

AbstractA sustained history of white supremacy is in the system of policing. Police engage in state‐sanctioned murders of African American women. Too many times, police state‐sanctioned violence is disregarded. A critical analysis and applicable theoretical frameworks were used to examine the Fort Worth Police Department's (FWPD's) Use of Force Policy in the case of Atatiana Jefferson's murder. The findings show cultural situatedness impacted this case. In other words, the normed cultural, social and environmental factors versus policy components influenced the case. The employed theoretical perspectives provide policymakers and researchers with critical viewpoints to deconstruct hierarchical systems of power that perpetuate injustices.