Questions from chapter twelve (Working with African American clients: An interview with Veronique Thompson) in Cultural diversity: A primer for human services. 

1. To whom does the term African American refer? 
2. What percentage of the population in the United States is African American, according to the 2000 census?
3. How are African Americans widely dispersed?
4. From where is it projected that there will be increasing immigration? 
5. What four factors have shaped African American experiences and culture?
6. Researchers have found what three critical strategies for the adaptation of family therapy practices to the cultural realities of African American families? 
7. Identify and briefly describe three positive strengths upon which family resources can be built. 
8. This chapter suggests an alternative explanation to what is often viewed as the less involved or less important role for African American males, who might be viewed as “peripheral” to family functioning.  Explain the alternative perspective. 
9. Who is the parental child?
10. The poverty rate among African Americans is almost ________ times that of Whites. 
11.  African American men experience the highest rate of ____________ among ethnic minorities. 
12. What prompted Dr. Veronique Thompson’s interest in psychology? 
13. Identify and briefly describe the characteristics that African Americans share, as suggested by Dr. Thompson. 
14. Why is dressing down seen as a negative thing in African American communities?  
15. What terms do individuals within the African American community use to describe themselves? 
16. Which labeling term is preferred by Dr. Thompson? 
17. Why does Dr, Thompson choose the term “enslavement” rather than “slave”? 
18. Dr. Thompson divides the African American history into four segments.  Identify and briefly describe each of the four segments. 
19. Dr. Thompson suggests that many African Americans do not seek help because of concerns with the way they will be treated by the mental health system.  Where do African Americans seek help instead? 
20. Dr. Thompson states “For African Americans, it is all about how you relate to them.” How does she relate for maximum effectiveness? 
21. How do African Americans view White privilege?  How can a White practitioner address this?
22. What problems do African Americans bring into treatment in addition to the problems that other Americans have? 
23. How might extreme mundane environmental stress be manifested when a client comes to see a practitioner? 
24. What role does Dr. Thompson feel assessment should play in treatment?
25. What is particularly challenging for African Americans as regards to issues of group identity and belonging? 
26. What subpopulations in the African American community may be particularly at risk?
27. What is helpful for the practitioner to do to develop rapport with African American clients?
28. Can non African American practitioners use deep cultural knowledge?
29. Should you ask a lot of questions in your initial sessions with African American clients?  If yes, why?  If no, what should you do instead?
30. Dr. Thompson provides two examples of clients with whom she has worked.  What were the common themes in her work with those two women?