Understanding Strengths and Thriving in Black Male Youth: Developmental, Cultural, and Contextual Approaches

Across developmental and cultural psychology, increasing attention has turned to the need for research that illuminates pathways to positive development, resilience, and thriving among Black male youth. Historically, scholarship in this area has concentrated on documenting disparities and risk factors linked to structural inequities and racialized stressors. While this work has been critical for revealing persistent challenges, it has often overshadowed the assets, adaptive capacities, and contextual resources that support well-being and positive outcomes. Emerging evidence highlights the importance of strengths-based frameworks that focus on protective processes such as positive racial identity, family and community support, adaptive coping strategies, and culturally grounded sources of resilience. Despite this promising shift, there remains a gap in the literature that systematically integrates strengths-based approaches with developmental theory and empirical research to explain how Black boys and young men achieve positive adaptation across contexts.This Research Topic aims to advance a scientific agenda grounded in strength-based perspectives to better understand the developmental, psychological, and contextual processes that foster well-being among Black male youth. Specifically, it seeks to move the field beyond deficit-oriented frameworks by focusing on the factors and mechanisms that promote resilience, academic success, mental health, and thriving, even in the presence of structural barriers. Contributors are encouraged to examine the dynamic interplay of protective and promotive factors, including supportive relationships, community engagement, critical consciousness, and positive identity development, that enable Black boys and young men to flourish. The topic seeks to generate integrative insights that inform culturally responsive research, interventions, and policies aimed at advancing equity and holistic well-being.To gather further insights into the developmental, educational, and contextual processes promoting thriving among Black male youth, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Positive youth development and thriving among Black boys and young men • Resilience and protective factors across individual, family, and community levels • Positive racial and gender identity development School belonging, motivation, and educational success • Mental health promotion and psychological well-being Family, peer, and community strengths and social support • Critical consciousness and sociopolitical development Culturally grounded and strengths-based interventions • Mentoring relationships and community-based participatory research • Positive masculinity and adaptive developmental outcomes • Asset-based approaches to policy, education, and practiceAppendix: We welcome articles such as Original Research, Systematic Reviews, Meta-Analyses, Theoretical and Conceptual Articles, Perspectives, Community Case Studies, and Brief Research Reports. Interdisciplinary contributions from psychology, social work, education, public health, and related fields are strongly encouraged. Topic editors: Adrian Gale, Donte Boyd, Husain Lateef Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82587/understanding-strengths-and-thriving-in-black-male-youth-developmental-cultural-and-contextual-approaches