Weathering the Storm: Exploring the Use of the Strong Black Woman Role in the Coping Strategies of Black Women Survivors of Hurricane Katrina

To protect against gendered racism, U.S. Black girls and women are socialized to be strong. This study explored the manifestations of the “Strong Black Woman” schema over time in the coping strategies of six Black women who survived Hurricane Katrina. Participants were all Black mothers, enrolled at a local community college, and ages 23-31 at the time of the first interview. All were interviewed three times between 2006 and 2018. Using narrative analysis on the longitudinal interviews, researchers identified themes highlighting how participants inherited, engaged with, and challenged expectations of the Strong Black Woman schema across their lives as daughters and mothers. Findings highlight the unique cultural and gendered pressures on Black women toward self-reliance and avoiding vulnerability, demonstrating the impact of structural oppression on help-seeking and the need for culturally appropriate interventions for survivors of disasters.