“I Am the Answer to My Ancestors’ Prayers”: The Spirit of African American Older Adults’ Civic Participation

Background and Purpose: The importance of civic participation for democracy and individual quality of life, health and wellbeing has been extensively discussed within social work research. Studies have found that older adults in particular play a vital role in promoting the welfare of their communities. Yet, a gap remains in our empirical understanding of civic participation among Black older adults. Moreover, the role of spirituality in shaping civic participation in the context of historical oppression and exclusion has yet to receive thorough attention in the literature.

Methods: Expanding discussions of civic participation, we conducted an interpretative phenomenological analysis with African American older adults (60+) living in New York City and New Jersey to explore the ways spirituality influences civic participation among Black older adults in the context of systemic oppression. This project integrates the theoretical frameworks of Black Theology of Liberation and bridging social capital to further empirical knowledge of how spirituality catalyzes and sustains the civic participation of African American older adults in the midst of historical oppression.

Results: We identified three themes: Spiritual Social Justice, “Moved” to Participate through Spirit, and Sustenance of Civic Faith. Spiritual Social Justice discusses spiritual experiences as they intersect with sociopolitical conditions to catalyze participants’ civic awareness. Participation through Spirit focuses on how participants relied on spiritual messages to determine the timing and means of their civic participation. Sustenance highlights how spirituality served as a source of continuous motivation for participants to remain civically active in the midst of personal and systemic barriers.

Conclusion and Implications: This study is a first step in expanding our understanding of civic participation among a population of older adults often overlooked in the literature. Our findings point to a need for further exploration of the ways civic organizations and initiatives can engage African American participants through incorporation of spiritual elements.