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To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1545-5300.2009.01265.x Byline: RANDI S. COWDERY (*), NORMA SCARBOROUGH (**), CARMEN KNUDSON-MARTIN ([dagger]), GITA SESHADRI ([dagger]), MONIQUE E. LEWIS ([dagger]), ANNE RANKIN MAHONEY ([double dagger]) Keywords: Couples; Gender; Power; African American; Black; Culture Abstract: When race and gender intersect, understanding gendered power may be complicated. The authors first describe the historical context that serves as important background for understanding gender and power in heterosexual African American relationships. Then they show how family solidarity in the face of social injustices often overrides gender equality as a goal for middle class African American couples with young children. The findings illustrate pragmatic equality within couple relationships and the willful suspension of gender roles for the well-being of the family as a whole. However, gendered power impacts couples in a variety of ways. Sometimes a woman's fear that the man might leave, for example, diminished her power in the relationship. Often a woman accommodated a man's greater power in the family because of her perception that he was often denied power in the larger society. Societal discrimination of women was less visible to couples. Implications for practice are provided. Abstract (French) RESUMEN En la interseccion entre raza y genero, comprender el poder de genero puede ser complicado. Los autores primero describen el contexto historico que sirve como un antecedente importante para comprender genero y poder en las relaciones de heterosexuales afro-americanos. Luego muestran como la solidaridad familiar ante las injusticias sociales suele invalidar la igualdad de genero como un objetivo de las parejas afro-americanas de clase media con ninos pequenos. Los resultados ilustran igualdad pragmatica dentro de las relaciones de pareja y la suspension voluntaria de los roles de genero por el bienestar de la familia como un todo. Sin embargo, el poder de genero tiene varios modos de influir sobre las parejas: a veces el miedo de una mujer de que se vaya el hombre, por ejemplo, disminuye su poder en la relacion; a menudo las mujeres dejan que el hombre tenga mayor poder en la familia por su percepcion de que a menudo se le ha negado a el una posicion de poder en la sociedad a mayor escala. La discriminacion social de las mujeres fue menos visible para las parejas. Se aportan implicaciones para la practica.Palabras clave: parejas, genero, poder, afro-americano, negro, cultura Abstract (Spanish): When race and gender intersect, understanding gendered power may be complicated. The authors first describe the historical context that serves as important background for understanding gender and power in heterosexual African American relationships. Then they show how family solidarity in the face of social injustices often overrides gender equality as a goal for middle class African American couples with young children. The findings illustrate pragmatic equality within couple relationships and the willful suspension of gender roles for the well-being of the family as a whole. However,gendered power impacts couples in a variety of ways. Sometimes a woman's fear that the man might leave, for example, diminished her power in the relationship. Often women accommodated a man's greater power in the family because of her perception that he was often denied power in the larger society. Societal discrimination of women was less visible to couples. Implications for practice are provided. couples, gender, power, African American, Black, culture Author Affiliation: (*)Department of Educational Psychology, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA (**)Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA ([dagger])Department of Counseling and Family Sciences, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA ([double dagger])Department of Sociology, University of Denver, Denver, CO Article note: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Carmen Knudson-Martin, Department of Counseling and, Family Science, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350. E-mail: cknudsonmartin@llu.edu