This study sought to explore whether the resonance of certain orientations and dimensions asserted to be distinctive of Black culture (affect, communalism, and spirituality) and mainstream American culture (competition, effort optimism, and individualism) wer related to the strategies used by African American youth to cope with perceived discrimination. Participants wer 120 African American youth from two geographical regions in the United States (northern Alabama, n = 71; central Ohio, n = 49). The findings suggested that orientations and corresponding dimensions of Black culture and mainstream American culture might evidence varying degrees of resonance among African American youth from disparate social-environmental contexts. The findings also indicated that spirituality and effort optimism wer related to greater use of self-reliance/problemsolving coping strategies, whereas communalism was related to lower use of externalizing coping strategies. The implications of cultural orientation for the adjustment and psychological functioning of African American youth in the face of multiple racial contingencies are discussed.
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