Seanna Leath
Biographic Data
| ID | 3590961 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Seanna Leath |
| GIVEN NAMES | Seanna |
| FAMILY NAME | Leath |
| SIGNATURE | LEATH S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Washington University in St. Louis |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 46 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 209 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 46 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
The process of racial bias awareness in White Americans
344) make meaning of specific instances of personal racial bias. We used a postpositivist research paradigm (Ponterotto, 2010; Ryan, 2006) to better understand how White adults assigned meaning to their past experiences of perpetuating racial bias. By integrating and expanding models of emotions (Ekman, 1992; Ford et al., 2022; Grzanka et al., 2020; Stephan & Stephan, 1985) and bias justifications (Condor et al., 2006; Crandall & Eshleman, 2003; …
It’s more than a book club”
An Examination of Strength Socialization in Black Mother-Daughter Relationships
The embodiment of the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema presents challenges for Black women, including negative mental health outcomes like psychological distress and depression. Yet, few researchers have examined the process by which Black women take on this archetype of Black womanhood. In the current study, we explored the nature of the socialization messages Black mothers give young Black women about strong Black womanhood (referred to as stren…
Uncovering Responses”
This study investigates the emotional responses of Black parents in Missouri to racial violence, revealing three distinct types of emotional responses: negative emotions (feelings that induce distress or discomfort), neutral emotions (feelings that are neither positive nor negative), and positive emotions (feelings that induce joy or satisfaction). We explored a range of emotions expressed by parents using the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist …
Gendered Racial Identity, Positive Health Practices, and Mental Health Among Black Adult Women
In the current study, we analyzed data from a national sample of 501 Black women (18–35 years old, M = 27) to examine the associations between gendered racial identity beliefs, the Superwoman Schema, and positive health practices on women’s stress, anxiety, and depression. Gendered racial centrality and endorsement of the Superwoman Schema was associated with poorer mental health outcomes, while positive beliefs about being a Black woman were ass…
My life’s light”
The Pressure to be Perfect
Although Black women's perfectionist tendencies may mirror other students’, they experience unique academic pressures and expectations due to the intersections of racism and sexism in education. We used stereotype management theory to contextualize the educational experiences of 36 high-achieving Black undergraduate women (18–24 years) attending predominantly white institutions. The women discussed how gendered racial stereotypes of Black women's…
I Love that ‘Bout Myself and Us”
Gendered racism poses a significant threat to Black, Latina, and Afro-Latina girls’ self-concept. In the current study, we combined self-definition theory and the integrated model of ethnic-racial identity and critical consciousness to explore how these girls and young women critically reflected on gendered racism in relation to their identity beliefs and sense of self. We used plática methodology to talk with 20 Black ( n = 7), Latina ( n = 3), …
She Has a Village”
In the current qualitative study, we explored the perceived benefits of Black mothers’ villages as cultural resource systems of social support. We used consensual qualitative research methods to analyze semi-structured interview data from 28 Black mothers (25–60 years, M age = 46) in the United States. We identified seven main themes. For Black daughters, village support offered: (a) models of positive relationships, (b) access to social and enri…
Piecing Together Respectability
A Black Feminist Study of Black Mother-Daughter Sexual Communication
There is a well-established body of literature on parent-child sexual communication (PCSC) among Black families. Still, most of this work focuses on reducing sexual risk behaviors among Black girls and focuses less on the multidimensionality of PCSC among Black parents and their daughters. In this qualitative study, we explored Black mother-daughter PCSC by analyzing interviews with 29 Black mothers in the U.S. with daughters ages 6-11. We used c…
Black Girl Magic is everything
The concept of #BlackGirlMagic has resonated with Black women and Black girls across the world. Black Girl Magic is as unique as a fingerprint and serves as an invitation for Black girls to be present as their true, most powerful selves. In reflecting on the power of Black Girl Magic for Black girls as 5 Black women in psychological science and education, we describe 3 recommendations for cultivating supportive spaces for Black girls to be magica…
Colorism as Historical Trauma
In the current qualitative study, we draw upon the colorist-historical trauma framework and misogynoir theory to explore Black college women’s peer-based messages of skin tone bias in school settings. We analyzed individual interview data from 26 ethnically diverse Black women (18–22 years) with consensual qualitative research methods to explore their beliefs and perspectives on their peers’ colorist messages in K-16 education. We focused on thre…
“Free Black Children…That Means Everything”
In the present qualitative study, we draw from a psychological framework of radical healing in communities of color to explore Black mother’s perspectives on what it means to raise free, Black children in the anti-Black racial context of the United States of America. Specifically, we consider the extent to which Black mother’s descriptions about supporting their children’s freedom involve new cultural and social norms that integrate personal well…
A Black feminist study of freedom, community care, and self-definition among Black college women attending predominantly White institutions
Far-Right Misogynoir
Amid the (re)surgence of far-right ideologies in the United States of America, we introduce the concept of far-right misogynoir as a lens for understanding Black women's experiences of white and male supremacist influences and actions. Using a qualitative case study, we examined individual interview data with 17 Black women college students (18–24 years) from a selective, predominantly white, liberal arts college in the Northeast. Using Black fem…
Raising Resilient Black Women
Creating Black Girl Space in St. Louis
Black girls face the challenge of developing a healthy sense of self because of racism and sexism in school settings. Building on extant literature, this study examines a sample of socioeconomically diverse Black girls' in predominately White, Black, and racially and ethnically diverse school settings. Data collection included focus groups with Black girls (N = 30, M age = 12.64 years). Inductive analytic techniques were used to identify themes b…
Communalism Versus Race/Ethnicity
Research on Culturally Relevant Pedagogy claims that culture drives students’ attitudes and behaviors to determine what learning contexts best scaffold learning but operationalizes race/ethnicity. This study extends the developmental range of this work and compares race/ethnicity and self-reported group orientation as predictors. In total, 138 high school (Study 1) and 118 college (Study 2) students completed a math task after a learning session.…
Black Women’s Sexual Assertiveness and Satisfaction
Although extant research highlights the detrimental effects of the Superwoman Schema (SWS) on Black women’s physical and psychological well-being, researchers have yet to examine the implications of SWS endorsement on Black women’s sexual attitudes and behaviors. As a culturally salient racialized gender schema that reifies Black women’s supposed superhuman emotional and physical strength, to what extent does endorsement of the SWS contribute to …
“They Need to Hear Our Voices”
Black women have played an integral role in Black liberation struggles. Yet there is little psychological scholarship on Black women’s contribution to social justice movements, particularly beyond conventional forms of activism, such as protesting and voting. To address this gap, the current study draws on Black feminist epistemology to present a multidimensional framework of Black college women’s sociopolitical development. Using consensual qual…
Religious Socialization and Self-Definition Among Black Undergraduate Women Attending Predominantly White Institutions
To date, few scholars have explored religious and spiritual socialization among emerging adult Black women. In this study, we analyzed semi-structured interview data from 50 Black undergraduate women to explore associations between childhood religious socialization messages and current religious beliefs in emerging adulthood. Consensual qualitative methods revealed two broad domains and six themes. The first domain, “religious alignment,” include…
I Can be Unapologetically Who I Am”
The current study explores Black undergraduate women’s friendships using in-depth interview data from 47 women (18–24 years) attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in the United States. Drawing on consensual qualitative research methods, we considered the nature and importance of Black female friendships among Black undergraduate women. We identified the following themes: (a) friendship as a tool to mitigate bias and discrimination; (b…
An investigation of Jezebel stereotype awareness, gendered racial identity and sexual beliefs and behaviours among Black adult women
Evidence suggests that the intersectional nature of Black women's race and gender identities influence their awareness of sexual scripts such as the hypersexual, Jezebel stereotype. This study examined the role of the Jezebel stereotype and Black women's identity beliefs on their sexual beliefs and behaviours. Specifically, we investigated the role of gendered racial identity beliefs on the relationship between Jezebel stereotype awareness and Bl…
We need to see action”
Racial Identity, Racial Discrimination, and Classroom Engagement Outcomes Among Black Girls and Boys in Predominantly Black and Predominantly White School Districts
This study examined the associations among racial identity beliefs (centrality and public regard), racial discrimination, and academic engagement outcomes among 1,659 African American adolescents across two demographically distinct school districts, one predominantly Black, working class ( n = 1,100) and one predominantly White, middle class ( n = 559). Across these districts, the youths reported that race was a central aspect of their identity a…
Gendered racism and depression among Black women
Our results further illustrate the detrimental effect of gendered racism on Black women, while also illuminating areas for intervention useful for this group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
Steeped in Shame
Most research on Black girls’ sexuality emphasizes reducing risk behaviors, with less attention to dimensions of healthy and normative sexual development, such as body positivity. To address this gap, we sought to explore the diversity of sexual messaging young Black women received during their formative years. Using consensual qualitative research methods, we explored how 50 Black college women (ages 18–24 years) described their sexual socializa…
What Happens If They Come for You? An Exploration of Mothers’ Racial Socialization on Discrimination With Black College Women
Few scholars have considered the racial socialization that Black mothers offer to their daughters on racial discrimination and violence or how mothers’ other social identities (social class and ethnicity) may influence their discourse on these topics. To address this gap, we used consensual qualitative research methods to explore the racial socialization that 47 Black college women recalled from their mothers on racial discrimination and violence…
Teacher-Based Racial Discrimination
Teachers’ Expectations of Girls’ Classroom Performance and Behavior
Experiencing an early pubertal transition has been shown to increase the risk for internalizing and externalizing outcomes among girls. It is less clear how the expectations of other individuals can be critical determinants of vulnerability for early developers. This study used an experimental design to examine whether the expectations of teachers might be influenced by girls’ pubertal timing (early, on-time, late) and race (Black, White). Elemen…
Shifting Contexts and Shifting Identities
Raising Resilient Black Women
A qualitative exploration of Black women’s familial socialization on controlling images of Black womanhood and the internalization of respectability politics
A growing number of scholars have considered how young Black women develop their identities within and against White supremacist ideologies of Black womanhood. The current study offers an analysis of how the ongoing socialization of respectability politics in some Black family contexts can contribute to the vilification of the ‘the wrong type’ of Black girls and women. Using Black feminism as a theoretical and methodological lens, we explored how…
Black Women's Experiences of Campus Racial Climate and Stigma at Predominantly White Institutions
Seanna Leath, Tabbye Chavous, Black Women’s Experiences of Campus Racial Climate and Stigma at Predominantly White Institutions: Insights from a Comparative and Within-Group Approach for STEM and Non-STEM Majors, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 87, No. 2, The 38th Annual Charles H. Thompson Lecture Broadening Participation in American Higher Education—A Special Focus on the Underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM Disciplines (Spring…
We really protested
Seanna Leath, Tabbye Chavous, “We really protested”: The Influence of Sociopolitical Beliefs, Political Self-efficacy, and Campus Racial Climate on Civic Engagement among Black College Students attending Predominantly White Institutions, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 86, No. 3, Special Issue—When Voices Rise: Race, Resistance, and Campus Uprisings in the Information Age (Summer 2017), pp. 220-237
Racial and gender discrimination by teachers
ObjectivesThe present study examines how race and gender-specific factors (i.e., racial centrality and gender role beliefs) serve as protective assets against the harmful impact of racial and gender discrimination on depressive symptomatology and suicidal ideation for Black girls.MethodOur sample included 232 Black girls ages 15-17 years old (Mage = 16.85) from a socioeconomically diverse community context.ResultsOur findings revealed that racial…
A Qualitative Study of Black College Women's Experiences of Misogynoir and Anti-Racism with High School Educators
A growing body of literature highlights how teachers and administrators influence Black girls' academic and social experiences in school. Yet, less of this work explores how Black undergraduate women understand their earlier school experiences, particularly in relation to whether teachers advocated for their educational success or participated in discriminatory practices that hindered their potential. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR) m…
Far-Right Misogynoir
Amid the (re)surgence of far-right ideologies in the United States of America, we introduce the concept of far-right misogynoir as a lens for understanding Black women's experiences of white and male supremacist influences and actions. Using a qualitative case study, we examined individual interview data with 17 Black women college students (18–24 years) from a selective, predominantly white, liberal arts college in the Northeast. Using Black fem…
Linked fate among underrepresented groups
Objective: Negative perceptions of institutional racial climate relate to worse mental health outcomes for Black college students. Yet, few scholars have considered how Black students' perceptions of the institutional climate for other underrepresented groups may impact mental health. Participants and Methods: We drew on a national sample of Black college students across 15 institutions ( n = 1188) to examine the effects of institutional diversit…
A qualitative exploration of Black mothers’ gendered constructions of their children and their parental school involvement
Creating Black Girl Space in St. Louis
Black girls face the challenge of developing a healthy sense of self because of racism and sexism in school settings. Building on extant literature, this study examines a sample of socioeconomically diverse Black girls' in predominately White, Black, and racially and ethnically diverse school settings. Data collection included focus groups with Black girls (N = 30, M age = 12.64 years). Inductive analytic techniques were used to identify themes b…
Exploring Black Women's Pathways to Motherhood Within a Reproductive Justice Framework
Amidst the increasing push to address racial disparities in maternal health equity, fewer studies have considered Black women's perspectives on their needs, concerns, and priorities regarding family planning care. Such evidence might help address the lack of support and information that many Black women report in patient-provider encounters, and broaden empirical knowledge on the contextual factors that influence Black women's reproductive decisi…
Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Program
She Has a Village”
In the current qualitative study, we explored the perceived benefits of Black mothers’ villages as cultural resource systems of social support. We used consensual qualitative research methods to analyze semi-structured interview data from 28 Black mothers (25–60 years, M age = 46) in the United States. We identified seven main themes. For Black daughters, village support offered: (a) models of positive relationships, (b) access to social and enri…
Black Girl Magic is everything
The concept of #BlackGirlMagic has resonated with Black women and Black girls across the world. Black Girl Magic is as unique as a fingerprint and serves as an invitation for Black girls to be present as their true, most powerful selves. In reflecting on the power of Black Girl Magic for Black girls as 5 Black women in psychological science and education, we describe 3 recommendations for cultivating supportive spaces for Black girls to be magica…
A Black feminist study of freedom, community care, and self-definition among Black college women attending predominantly White institutions
Piecing Together Respectability
Communalism Versus Race/Ethnicity
Research on Culturally Relevant Pedagogy claims that culture drives students’ attitudes and behaviors to determine what learning contexts best scaffold learning but operationalizes race/ethnicity. This study extends the developmental range of this work and compares race/ethnicity and self-reported group orientation as predictors. In total, 138 high school (Study 1) and 118 college (Study 2) students completed a math task after a learning session.…
The Pressure to be Perfect
Although Black women's perfectionist tendencies may mirror other students’, they experience unique academic pressures and expectations due to the intersections of racism and sexism in education. We used stereotype management theory to contextualize the educational experiences of 36 high-achieving Black undergraduate women (18–24 years) attending predominantly white institutions. The women discussed how gendered racial stereotypes of Black women's…
Being Better Than My Dad
Fatherhood is a turning point in the life of many men, but for men who lacked a father figure while growing up, the birth of a child may be the catalyst for a fresh start. Researchers have called for qualitative investigations into African American fathers’ parenting beliefs and practices that consider their social contexts within the broader research discourse on parenthood. Such investigations can inform the way we frame African American father…
Teachers’ Expectations of Girls’ Classroom Performance and Behavior
Experiencing an early pubertal transition has been shown to increase the risk for internalizing and externalizing outcomes among girls. It is less clear how the expectations of other individuals can be critical determinants of vulnerability for early developers. This study used an experimental design to examine whether the expectations of teachers might be influenced by girls’ pubertal timing (early, on-time, late) and race (Black, White). Elemen…
We really protested
Seanna Leath, Tabbye Chavous, “We really protested”: The Influence of Sociopolitical Beliefs, Political Self-efficacy, and Campus Racial Climate on Civic Engagement among Black College Students attending Predominantly White Institutions, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 86, No. 3, Special Issue—When Voices Rise: Race, Resistance, and Campus Uprisings in the Information Age (Summer 2017), pp. 220-237
Teachers’ academic and behavioral expectations and girls’ pubertal development
Black Women's Experiences of Campus Racial Climate and Stigma at Predominantly White Institutions
Seanna Leath, Tabbye Chavous, Black Women’s Experiences of Campus Racial Climate and Stigma at Predominantly White Institutions: Insights from a Comparative and Within-Group Approach for STEM and Non-STEM Majors, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 87, No. 2, The 38th Annual Charles H. Thompson Lecture Broadening Participation in American Higher Education—A Special Focus on the Underrepresentation of African Americans in STEM Disciplines (Spring…
Teacher-Based Racial Discrimination
Shifting Contexts and Shifting Identities
Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Program
Racial Identity, Racial Discrimination, and Classroom Engagement Outcomes Among Black Girls and Boys in Predominantly Black and Predominantly White School Districts
This study examined the associations among racial identity beliefs (centrality and public regard), racial discrimination, and academic engagement outcomes among 1,659 African American adolescents across two demographically distinct school districts, one predominantly Black, working class ( n = 1,100) and one predominantly White, middle class ( n = 559). Across these districts, the youths reported that race was a central aspect of their identity a…
A qualitative exploration of Black mothers’ gendered constructions of their children and their parental school involvement
Steeped in Shame
Most research on Black girls’ sexuality emphasizes reducing risk behaviors, with less attention to dimensions of healthy and normative sexual development, such as body positivity. To address this gap, we sought to explore the diversity of sexual messaging young Black women received during their formative years. Using consensual qualitative research methods, we explored how 50 Black college women (ages 18–24 years) described their sexual socializa…
What Happens If They Come for You? An Exploration of Mothers’ Racial Socialization on Discrimination With Black College Women
Few scholars have considered the racial socialization that Black mothers offer to their daughters on racial discrimination and violence or how mothers’ other social identities (social class and ethnicity) may influence their discourse on these topics. To address this gap, we used consensual qualitative research methods to explore the racial socialization that 47 Black college women recalled from their mothers on racial discrimination and violence…
A qualitative exploration of school racial diversity, friendship choices, and Black women's identity-based experiences in high school
A Qualitative Exploration of Jezebel Stereotype Endorsement and Sexual Behaviors Among Black College Women
Researchers suggest that the Jezebel stereotype exerts a significant influence on Black women’s sexual decision making. The current qualitative study drew upon narrative data from individual, semistructured interviews with 50 Black women (ages 18-24 years) to explore how the Jezebel stereotype influenced their sexual beliefs and behaviors. Using consensual qualitative research methods, the following four themes emerged from the data: (a) how the …
A qualitative exploration of Black women’s familial socialization on controlling images of Black womanhood and the internalization of respectability politics
A growing number of scholars have considered how young Black women develop their identities within and against White supremacist ideologies of Black womanhood. The current study offers an analysis of how the ongoing socialization of respectability politics in some Black family contexts can contribute to the vilification of the ‘the wrong type’ of Black girls and women. Using Black feminism as a theoretical and methodological lens, we explored how…
Gendered racism and depression among Black women
Our results further illustrate the detrimental effect of gendered racism on Black women, while also illuminating areas for intervention useful for this group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
Linked fate among underrepresented groups
Objective: Negative perceptions of institutional racial climate relate to worse mental health outcomes for Black college students. Yet, few scholars have considered how Black students' perceptions of the institutional climate for other underrepresented groups may impact mental health. Participants and Methods: We drew on a national sample of Black college students across 15 institutions ( n = 1188) to examine the effects of institutional diversit…
A Qualitative Study of Black College Women's Experiences of Misogynoir and Anti-Racism with High School Educators
A growing body of literature highlights how teachers and administrators influence Black girls' academic and social experiences in school. Yet, less of this work explores how Black undergraduate women understand their earlier school experiences, particularly in relation to whether teachers advocated for their educational success or participated in discriminatory practices that hindered their potential. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR) m…
Black Women’s Sexual Assertiveness and Satisfaction
Although extant research highlights the detrimental effects of the Superwoman Schema (SWS) on Black women’s physical and psychological well-being, researchers have yet to examine the implications of SWS endorsement on Black women’s sexual attitudes and behaviors. As a culturally salient racialized gender schema that reifies Black women’s supposed superhuman emotional and physical strength, to what extent does endorsement of the SWS contribute to …
“They Need to Hear Our Voices”
Black women have played an integral role in Black liberation struggles. Yet there is little psychological scholarship on Black women’s contribution to social justice movements, particularly beyond conventional forms of activism, such as protesting and voting. To address this gap, the current study draws on Black feminist epistemology to present a multidimensional framework of Black college women’s sociopolitical development. Using consensual qual…
Religious Socialization and Self-Definition Among Black Undergraduate Women Attending Predominantly White Institutions
To date, few scholars have explored religious and spiritual socialization among emerging adult Black women. In this study, we analyzed semi-structured interview data from 50 Black undergraduate women to explore associations between childhood religious socialization messages and current religious beliefs in emerging adulthood. Consensual qualitative methods revealed two broad domains and six themes. The first domain, “religious alignment,” include…
I Can be Unapologetically Who I Am”
The current study explores Black undergraduate women’s friendships using in-depth interview data from 47 women (18–24 years) attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in the United States. Drawing on consensual qualitative research methods, we considered the nature and importance of Black female friendships among Black undergraduate women. We identified the following themes: (a) friendship as a tool to mitigate bias and discrimination; (b…
An investigation of Jezebel stereotype awareness, gendered racial identity and sexual beliefs and behaviours among Black adult women
Evidence suggests that the intersectional nature of Black women's race and gender identities influence their awareness of sexual scripts such as the hypersexual, Jezebel stereotype. This study examined the role of the Jezebel stereotype and Black women's identity beliefs on their sexual beliefs and behaviours. Specifically, we investigated the role of gendered racial identity beliefs on the relationship between Jezebel stereotype awareness and Bl…
We need to see action”
Our Community Is So Small”
Although Black students may share race-related experiences at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), they are a heterogeneous community with diverse identity beliefs, goals, and expectations about college. In the current study, we foreground how Black students at PWIs understand their racialized identities in relation to one another and within the broader university context. Drawing from interview data with 32 Black undergraduate students, we e…
Psychology (40 works) · Sociology (36 works) · Gender Studies (34 works) · Social Psychology (31 works) · Gender Studies (22 works) · Social Psychology (21 works) · Developmental psychology (19 works) · Racial and Ethnic Identity Research (18 works) · Qualitative research (15 works) · Critical Race Theory in Education (14 works)