Introduction to the Special Issue on Communication in Black Families

Abstract

ABSTRACT This special issue is comprised of six peer-reviewed, empirical articles focused on communication and socialization in Black families. These articles collectively explore how Black families: (a) navigate experiences of police brutality, (b) manage grief after loss, (c) engage in racial, gender, and sexual socialization of children, and (d) make sense of Black motherhood. Each article is theoretically driven and methodologically robust, offering important advancements in research on communication in Black families. In this introduction, we preview and elucidate each article’s theoretical underpinnings, main findings, and overall richness as it pertains to this special issue. We then discuss collective implications stemming from this body of work. Next, we offer positionality statements that trace the genesis of this special issue on Black families. Last, we share concluding thoughts on why representation matters and reiterate our shared responsibility as scholars to include diverse others.