Excerpts:
The strength and protective components of resilience are the focus
of this report.
Resilience as currently understood is a dynamic, multidimensional
construct that incorporates the bidirectional interaction between individuals and their environments within contexts... Over
time, models of resilience have become more ecologically focused, reflecting a generally understood and accepted principle
that youth develop in context and that the considerations of context is fundamental to any serious effort to understand
development and experience.
We propose a portrait of resilience... or optimal functioning, for African
American Youth... Critical Mindedness... Active Engagement... Flexibility... a fundamental sense of interdependence
Resilience in cognitive functions is the expected expression of ability
in intellectual... skill, despite exposure to developmental risk factors.
Limited research examining resilience within the African American community
reflects its health and strength... we acknowledge and maintain that resilience is a holistic developmental process and consists
of interdependent... domains functioning that are interwoven and develop simultaneously.
institutions that influence the development... must support, encourage,
and model the elements proposed as central to their optimal functioning or resilience.
African American youth will need resilience to navigate future challenges.
It is important that collective efforts continue to foster and further develop identified “protective mechanisms"
