A phenomenological analysis of invisibility syndrome in formerly incarcerated Black men

Abstract

Qualitative research was conducted with eight formerly incarcerated Black men on their experiences with what counseling scholar Anderson Franklin has dubbed “invisibility syndrome.” Invisibility syndrome is “an inner struggle with the feeling that one's talents, abilities, personality, and worth are not valued or even recognized because of prejudice and racism.” Results found five superordinate themes, including painfulness of invisibility, pervasiveness of invisibility, awareness of power relations, coping with invisibility, and importance of healing. Implications for counseling formerly incarcerated Black men are provided.