The Role of Spirituality and Religion Among African American Women Who Have Survived Community Disasters

Abstract

African American women face disproportionate vulnerability in community disasters due to intersecting race, gender, and class oppression, yet their spiritual/religious resources remain underexamined in disaster literature. This study examines how spirituality and religion shaped coping, resilience, and recovery among African American women post-Hurricane Katrina.

This mixed-methods, community-engaged study used purposive sampling to recruit 200 African American women survivors. Online Qualtrics surveys captured quantitative measures and embedded qualitative narratives. Thematic analysis identified patterns in spiritual/religious meaning-making. Four themes emerged: (1) spirituality as meaning-making during trauma, (2) faith networks as material/emotional support, (3) prayer/ritual as coping, and (4) faith-informed advocacy for housing justice. Black churches functioned as critical hubs for cultural resilience and collective action. Most of the women faith backgrounds included, Southern Baptist traditions and others remained grounded in African Spiritual Traditions or Practices. Findings inform equitable disaster policy grounded in Black women’s epistemologies.

Spirituality and religion are vital resources for African American women’s disaster recovery. Implications include integrating faith-based partnerships in disaster response, culturally responsive mental health care leveraging spiritual practices, and amplifying women’s voices in resilience planning. This research informs more equitable disaster policies and community interventions.