What Does it Mean to be Black and Aware? A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of Black Racial Identity and Critical Consciousness

Abstract

Black racial identity (i.e., the process and content of developing Black identity) and critical consciousness (i.e., awareness, beliefs, and actions to challenge structural oppression) are significant contributors to positive youth development. Yet, little research has empirically examined how these two processes may intersect to shape Black youth and emerging adults’ identities as American citizens. The integration of these two developmental processes highlights how Black youth and young adults understand themselves in a race-salient society and engage in social change. Paper 1 reviews and integrates Black racial identity and critical consciousness theories highlighting how these two processes may interact. The theoretical framework posits three testable postulates that outline associations between racial identity and critical consciousness development. Paper 2 tested postulates presented in chapter 1 by examining how youths’ racial discrimination experiences related to their critical conciousness beliefs and whether youths’ racial identity beliefs around the importance and meaning of race moderated this relationship. This study also tested if political efficacy mediates the relationship between critical reflection and critical action. Five models were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a national sample of Black youth and emerging adults (N=634, ages 15-25) from the Black Youth Culture Survey. Findings indicate that more reported racial discrimination experiences are associated with higher critical reflection (structural attributions). While racial identity beliefs showed significant direct effects with structural attributions in ways that were aligned with the postulates (lower public regard related to more structural attributions), I found only weak support for the hypothesized moderation effects. Political efficacy did not mediate the association between critical reflection and critical action. Study findings suggest that racial discrimination plays a critical role in developing systems thinking in Black youth and emerging adults and that racial identity beliefs may facilitate this connection for some youth. Findings also suggest the potential utility of future research to consider age and developmental variation in the study constructs and their associations. Paper 3 tests reciprocal relations between racial identity exploration and critical action in Black college students using a longitudinal cross lagged model over three timepoints. This study tests postulates presented in paper 1 by examining how Black college students’ critical action catalyzes racial identity exploration. Further, this study tests how racial identity exploration may promote critical action, as exploration may include participation in social justice oriented activities. Student responses are drawn from the Minority College Cohort Study (MCCS), a 4-year longitudinal survey of Black and Latinx college students. Respondents who self-identified as Black (N=237) were included for this study. Four models were assessed via cross-lagged panel modeling to determine how the two processes associate during the senior year of high school through the first two years of college. Exploration and critical action at Wave 3 were assessed as mediators of Wave 1 and Wave 6 critical action and Wave 1 and Wave 6 exploration, respectively. Findings suggest that racial identity exploration and critical action are reciprocal processes for Black college students. Exploration at Wave 3 (end of freshman year) mediates of the relationship between Wave 1 critical action (senior year of high school) and Wave 6 critical action (sophomore year of college). Findings also suggest that future research should focus on alternative longitudinal methods to consider how racial identity and critical consciousness change over time.