Scholars@Duke publication: Gendered Racism and Mental Health: A Test of the Mediating and Moderating Role of the Superwoman/Strong Black Woman Schema and John Henryism

Gendered Racism and Mental Health: A Test of the Mediating and Moderating Role of the Superwoman/Strong Black Woman Schema and John Henryism

Publication , Journal Article

Spivey, BN; Watson-Singleton, NN; Lavner, JA; Brownlow, BN; Lewis, JA

Published in: Sex Roles

February 1, 2026

According to Lewis’ (2023) biopsychosocial model of gendered racism, cultural coping is the mediating mechanism linking Black women’s experiences of gendered racism to poor health outcomes. Two cultural coping constructs that are relevant to Black women are the Strong Black Superwoman (SBSW) schema and John Henryism, both of which emphasize strength and resilience in the face of hardship and adversity. Few studies have examined the role of these coping constructs in the link between gendered racism and mental health among Black women. To address this gap, the current study utilized a sample of 178 Black college-aged women (Mage = 20.48) attending a Historically Black College/University to test a parallel mediation model with the Strong Black Superwoman schema and John Henryism as potential mediators of the association between gender racial microaggressions (a form of gendered racism) and two mental health indicators, specifically depressive symptoms and rumination. We also performed sensitivity analyses to examine potential moderating effects of the Strong Black Superwoman schema and John Henryism on the gendered racism–mental health association. The results supported the Strong Black Superwoman schema as a significant mediator of the relation between gendered racial microaggressions and depressive symptoms and rumination, potentially weakening the relation. There was no evidence for John Henryism as a mediator or moderator. These results highlight the importance of culturally specific coping mechanisms in understanding Black women’s mental health. Addressing the impact of these coping strategies can inform interventions to better support Black women facing chronic stressors, like gendered racism.