How Much Do Black Lives Matter?: An Exploratory Study Examining the Relationship between Activism, Discrimination and Psychological Distress among African Americans

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of activism on the relationship between experiences of discrimination and psychological distress among African Americans. Regression analyses were used to investigate the moderating role of activism on a sample of 199 African American men and women ages 17--65 years old. Results suggest that activism does not play a moderating role, but does partially decline the relationship. When controlling for resilience, the partial mediation model is slightly improved. Gender was significant regarding participation in activism, with women reporting more involvement in activism related activities than men did.