When we talk about generational well‑being, we’re talking about more than income or diplomas; we mean stability, connection, cultural strength, and the ability for families to build and pass opportunity forward. Across North Carolina, Black families have been doing this work for generations, often in the face of systemic barriers. The story that emerges is one of resilience, creativity, and collective progress. This story aligns closely with research from Dr. Robert Sege and colleagues showing that Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) like supportive family relationships, trusted non‑parent adults, participation in community traditions, and feeling safe at home are strongly linked to better adult mental and relational health, even for people who experienced adversity in childhood. In a landmark 2019 JAMA Pediatrics study, higher PCE scores were associated with substantially lower odds of adult depression or poor mental health, independent of ACEs exposure.
Rooted in Community and Connection
Black families make up more than one‑fifth of North Carolina’s population, anchoring neighborhoods, schools, churches, and civic life. Strong kinship networks, often multigenerational, offer emotional support, shared caregiving, and cultural grounding. These are precisely the kinds of relationship‑rich PCEs Dr. Sege’s team identifies as protective: being able to talk with family about feelings, having family “stand by you,” feeling supported by friends, and having caring non‑parent adults all of which predict healthier adult mental health and stronger relationships later in life.
A Legacy of Entrepreneurship and Economic Agency
Entrepreneurship has long been a family strategy in Black communities, building dignity, autonomy, and local wealth across generations. These networks often do more than create income: they create environments where PCEs flourish, through mentorship from elders, participation in community traditions, and a sense of belonging for children growing up in family businesses and faith‑rooted institutions.
Education as a Multigenerational Investment
Behind every degree is often a family effort, parents, grandparents, and extended kin pooling resources and encouragement. HBCUs such as North Carolina A&T State University, Winston‑Salem State, and North Carolina Central serve as cultural anchors that amplify PCEs: belonging on campus, supportive peer and mentor relationships, and intergenerational pride. These experiences map onto PCE items (belonging in school, supportive friends, caring adults) and are associated with lower risks of adult depression and better relational health, including among those who faced early adversities.
Progress Across Generations
While challenges persist in housing affordability, childcare access, and health equity, long‑view data show meaningful reductions in poverty among Black families over recent decades. The dose–response nature of PCEs, more positive experiences linked to better adult health, helps explain why consistent family practices (faith house, cultural and community involvement, supportive caregiving, mentoring) accumulate benefits across time.
Looking Forward
During Black History Month it’s a good time to remember that the story of Black families in North Carolina is not defined by adversity alone. It is defined by continuity, creativity, and intentional investment in the future. As Dr. Sege and the HOPE National Resource Center put it, positive experiences are foundational “food,” not just “medicine” they are essential to healthy development and resilience, not simply antidotes to adversity. Centering policies and practices on the HOPE building blocks, strong relationships, safe and equitable environments, civic engagement, and opportunities for emotional growth aligns with what Black families across North Carolina already model every day: care, connection, and the intentional creation of positive experiences for the next generation.
When we celebrate Black family well‑being, we celebrate the progress and power of communities throughout North Carolina. And the truth is simple: when Black families thrive across generations, the entire state thrives with them.
For readers who want to go deeper, see Dr. Sege’s original PCEs study and HOPE resources: JAMA Pediatrics study on PCEs and adult mental health • HOPE National Resource Center • PCEs overview and seven core items • CDC MMWR on PCE prevalence