As an African American male, social issues are some that seem to be a part of our everyday life at the time of birth. Whether it’s our skin being threatening towards other groups of society, police brutality, not receiving the same education, jobs, or housing as those of other cultures; it’s something that burned into our part of growing up and learning how to maneuver the world around us.  Being that this is something that is thrown in our face time and time again, I would like to talk about the trust or lack thereof, between “professional helpers” and African American males.  You must first stop and take a look at the deep roots of past and current events that lead to African Americans not trusting the help that’s provided by doctors, lawyers, therapists, etc.  For example, historical adversity, which includes slavery, sharecropping, and race-based exclusion from health, educational, social, and economic resources, translates into socioeconomic disparities experienced by Black and African American people today. Socioeconomic status, in turn, is linked to mental health: People who are impoverished, homeless, incarcerated, or have substance use problems are at higher risk for poor mental health. Despite progress made over the years, racism continues to have an impact on the mental health of Black and African American people. Negative stereotypes and attitudes of rejection have decreased, but continue to occur with measurable, adverse consequences. Historical and contemporary instances of negative treatment have led to a mistrust of authorities, many of whom are not seen as having the best interests of Black and African Americans in mind.  The culture from which many African Americans are raised, has a greater distrust of the medical helpers and medical offices alike, from the belief of racial bias. A great example is that of the Tuskegee experiment, where the abuses of slaves by white doctors, simply for the use of medical experimentation.  There was no sense of consent or refusal from the African American participants to participate, just because of their lower level in society and the mass discrimination during that time.  It’s those issues of the past, that resist black males from seeking the help they truly need, in order to bring them back to the feeling of self and self-worth; and to add a more recent impact, just look at the COVID vaccine, many are skeptical of receiving it, just because of what happens at Tuskegee.  Despite progress made over the years, racism continues to have an impact on the mental health of Black and African American people. Negative stereotypes and attitudes of rejection have decreased, but continue to occur with measurable, adverse consequences. Historical and contemporary instances of negative treatment have led to a mistrust of authorities, many of whom are not seen as having the best interests of Black and African Americans in mind. Most importantly, one must be willing to understand how having a multicultu.

1. As an African American male, social issues are some that seem
to be a part of our everyday life at the time of birth. Whether
it’s our skin being threatening towards other groups of society,
police brutality, not receiving the same education, jobs, or
housing as those of other cultures; it’s something that burned
into our part of growing up and learning how to maneuver the
world around us. Being that this is something that is thrown in
our face time and time again, I would like to talk about the trust
or lack thereof, between “professional helpers” and African
American males. You must first stop and take a look at the
deep roots of past and current events that lead to African
Americans not trusting the help that’s provided by doctors,
lawyers, therapists, etc. For example, historical adversity,
which includes slavery, sharecropping, and race-based exclusion
from health, educational, social, and economic resources,
translates into socioeconomic disparities experienced by Black
and African American people today. Socioeconomic status, in
turn, is linked to mental health: People who are impoverished,
homeless, incarcerated, or have substance use problems are at
higher risk for poor mental health.
Despite progress made over the years, racism continues to have
an impact on the mental health of Black and African American
people. Negative stereotypes and attitudes of rejection have
decreased, but continue to occur with measurable, adverse
consequences. Historical and contemporary instances of
negative treatment have led to a mistrust of authorities, many of
whom are not seen as having the best interests of Black and
African Americans in mind. The culture from which many
African Americans are raised, has a greater distrust of the
medical helpers and medical offices alike, from the belief of
racial bias. A great example is that of the Tuskegee experiment,
where the abuses of slaves by white doctors, simply for the use

2. of medical experimentation. There was no sense of consent or
refusal from the African American participants to participate,
just because of their lower level in society and the mass
discrimination during that time. It’s those issues of the past,
that resist black males from seeking the help they truly need, in
order to bring them back to the feeling of self and self-worth;
and to add a more recent impact, just look at the COVID
vaccine, many are skeptical of receiving it, just because of what
happens at Tuskegee. Despite progress made over the years,
racism continues to have an impact on the mental health of
Black and African American people. Negative stereotypes and
attitudes of rejection have decreased, but continue to occur with
measurable, adverse consequences. Historical and contemporary
instances of negative treatment have led to a mistrust of
authorities, many of whom are not seen as having the best
interests of Black and African Americans in mind.
Most importantly, one must be willing to understand how
having a multicultural view while helping the individual, can
gain the trust of that individual, so that they will be open and
true.
The proponents of multicultural psychotherapy advocate for
cultural sensitivity that is, awareness, respect, and appreciation
for cultural diversity.
This valuing of diversity promotes a critical examination of
established psychotherapeutic models and assumptions because
definitions of health, illness, healing, normality, and
abnormality are culturally embedded (Wedding & Corsini,
2014).
Having those in place that look, walk, talk, having the same
mindset, and historical experience as those they are wanting to
serve will go a long way with gaining that trust, which is so
much needed.
Mentor ethnicity, as well as an interaction between mentor

3. ethnicity and participant level of cultural mistrust, were found
to be related to perceptions of mentor credibility/effectiveness.
In addition, mentor ethnicity and cultural sensitivity were found
to be related to perceptions of mentor cross-cultural competence
(Grant-Thompson & Atkinson, 1997).
The goal of positive social change for this study is to break the
stigma of mistrust between African Americans and that of
“professional helpers,” by using those services and the fear of
being labeled weak, crazy, or being taken advantage of by the
unknown. Because as previously stated, the distrust is so
heavy, it makes it harder to believe that someone of the other
race will actually want to help them not only succeed but ease
the pain that keeps them from living a normal life. That form of
distrust isn’t only hard on the client, but it’s even harder on the
professional helpers. Having to build that trust doesn’t just
happen in one session; “Providers must build a therapeutic
alliance that will preserve the masculinity and cultural identity
of African American men and will ultimately allay the cultural
distrust associated with the health care system and
acknowledges psychosocial stressors that are sensitive or rather
unique to the African American male and the culture alike.