The Power of Faith: Racial Discrimination and Religiosity Among Black American Men

Objectives: Research on prosocial behavior among Black(1) Americans should account for the daily realities that many face, including racial discrimination and cultural resources which may provide sources of resilience amidst injustice, such as religiosity and spirituality. We assessed whether racial discrimination, religiosity, and existential well-being (EWB) are related to the odds of engaging in prosocial behaviors for Black men. Method: Using data from a community-dwelling sample of 171 Black men in the United States, we used logistic regression tests to assess whether racial discrimination, organizational religiosity, personal religiosity, and EWB were associated with Black men's volunteering, mentoring, and charitable giving. We also examined whether racial discrimination moderated the association between religiosity and prosocial behavior. Results: Discrimination was not significantly associated with Black men's odds of engaging in prosocial actions. Odds of volunteering were significantly greater among Black men who reported more regular involvement at their religious institutions. Personal religiosity was also significantly associated with greater odds of mentoring youth and charitable giving. Discrimination did not significantly moderate any associations. Conclusions: Black men's faith is a relevant contributor to their prosocial action. Religious institutions and psychologists can work collaboratively in supporting this positive trajectory.