Systemic Considerations in Child Development and the Pursuit of Racial Equality in the United States

Abstract

In this commentary on Lewis' (2021) article in Psychological Inquiry, we expand on ways that both systemic and interpersonal contexts contribute to and uphold racial inequalities, with a particular focus on research on child development and socialization. We also discuss the potential roadblocks that may undermine the effectiveness of Lewis' (2021) recommended strategy of relying on experts as a driving force for change. We conclude by proposing additional strategies for pursuing racial equality that may increase the impact of experts, such as starting anti-racist socialization early in development, family-level interventions, and teaching people about racial injustices and their connections to systemic racism.

Racial Socialization Messages in White Parents' Discussions of Current Events Involving Racism With Their Adolescents

“…A clear next step is to identify intervention points that will help to redirect White parents toward more color-conscious conversations (Perry et al, 2021(Perry et al, , 2022. Our results indicate that at least some White parents are capable of acknowledging both the current reality and the long-standing history of racism in the context of current events.…”

“Will talking about race make my child racist?” dispelling myths to encourage honest white U.S. parent-child conversations about race and racism

“…First, given that by the age of 3-years-old, White children already start forming negative attitudes about racial minorities [42], White parents should begin discussing the existence of race (e.g., acknowledging the diversity of skin tones that their children observe in the world) and racism (e.g., explaining why racial inequality exists) with their children as early as possible [43]. Second, White parents should talk about race and racism using a color conscious approach [12,44], by discussing the history of racism and how racism continues to impact society, today [45,46]. Third, White parents should help their children create positive associations with people of color by modeling and encouraging positive interracial contact and friendships, and exposing them to positive role models of color [47,48].…”

“Will Talking about Race Make my Child Racist?” Dispelling Myths to Encourage Honest White U.S. Parent-Child Conversations about Race and Racism

“…First, given that by the age of 3, White children already start forming negative attitudes about racial minorities [42], White parents should begin discussing the existence of race (e.g., acknowledging the diversity of skin tones that their children observe in the world) and racism (e.g., explaining why racial inequality exists) with their children as early as possible [43]. Second, White parents should talk about race and racism using a color conscious approach [12,44], by discussing the history of racism and how racism continues to impact society, today [45,46]. Third, White parents should help their children create positive associations with people of color by modeling and encouraging positive interracial contact and friendships, and exposing them to positive role models of color [47,48].…”