Oscar Barbarin

IWM internal working model RES racial-ethnic socialization The United States is a racialized society plagued by an overarching system of oppression and inequality, particularly toward Black individuals (Lloyd et al., 2021). Anti-Black racism exists in the form of prejudice (e.g., negative attitudes) and discriminatory behavior (e.g., social denigration and exclusion), and within societal systems in the form of laws, policies, and economic structures that reinforce racial inequities (Kendi, 2019).

Attachment theory has roots in East Africa: Mary Ainsworth conducted her foundational observations with Black mothers and infants in Uganda, and she provided detailed ethnographic descriptions of the context in which those observations took place (Ainsworth, 1967). Ainsworth was hesitant to make universal claims without sufficient evidence and for this reason was enthusiastic about cross-cultural research (Duschinsky et al., 2020).

We are grateful to the community of people who made this special issue possible. First, we extend our gratitude to the authors who contributed their knowledge, time, and thoughtful reflections to write these important papers. In addition, we thank Lisa Berlin, Angel Dunbar, Megan Fitter, Roger Kobak, Esther Leerkes, Arietta Slade, and Susan Woodhouse for their helpful reviews.