Promoting social justice for African-American boys and young men through research and intervention: A challenge for developmental science

A social justice analysis of the circumstances of African-American boys and young men (AAB) reveals a pervasive pattern of negative stereotypes, disparate treatment, and resource deprivation that augur poorly for their development. Developmental science has yielded many insights about the deleterious sequelae of racism and economic disadvantage, but much less is known about AAB coping and adaptation. Adaptive Calibration and Positive Youth Development are offered as conceptual tools to redirect researcher to a focus on AAB’s hidden talents and to illuminate the social resources that contribute to positive outcomes. The Adaptive Calibration (AC) Model proposes that chronic adversity influences the development of overlooked competencies that facilitate successful adaptation in toxic environments. The Positive Youth Development framework highlights the propitious influence of familial and community assets that promote resilience and prosocial development in spite of chronic adversity. Social justice agenda can be advanced if these ideas are used to guide research.