In the past, scientists have attempted to explain the health disparity between African Americans and whites. With the completion of the human genome project, it has been proven that there is very little difference between different races at the genetic level. However, “African Americans are twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease as their European counterparts,” the question that arose is where these differences come from (Harell, Floyd, Daniels, and Bell). Recently, scientists have begun to believe that racism might explain these differences (Belgrave & Allison, 2010). Racism has been a problem for African Americans since the early days of slavery. Everywhere they go, they risk being treated differently because of their race. Over the past fifty years, the racism that African Americans have faced has decreased, yet it is still prevalent. According to Belgrave and Allison, racism is defined as “negative beliefs, actions, and emotions based on race” although there are different types of racism, this definition provides a generalization about what racism is. It appears that racism is the cause of many of the health problems facing African Americans. Whether it is because African Americans generally do not receive the same healthcare as whites or because direct racism causes increased blood pressure, racism has a negative effect on the health of African Americans (Belgrave & Allison, 2010). Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to see if racism has an effect on the self-esteem of African Americans and the health risks associated with racism, primarily hypertension. The independent variable is perception of racism and the dependent variables are self…center of card…and blood pressure. Racism is a problem facing many African Americans in the United States. It is affecting both their self-esteem and health. Until they get the help they need or racism dissolves from society, they will always have these problems. References Belgrave, A. Z., & Allison, K. W. (2010S). Afro-American psychology, from Africa to America. (2nd ed., pp. 96-112). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc. Fisher, A. R., & Shaw, C. (1999). African Americans' mental health and perceptions of racist discrimination: The moderating effects of racial socialization experiences and self-esteem. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 46(3), 395-407. Retrieved from psycnet.apa.org/journals/cou/46/3/395.htmlHarrell, C.P.J., Floyd, L.J., & Bell, S.R. Psychophysiological Methods: Enduring Value for Research within Black Psychology.