“They Told Me What I Was Before I Could Tell Them What I Was”: Black Girls’ Ethnic-Racial Identity Development Within Multiple Worlds

Abstract

Current research on ethnic-racial identity (ERI) development among Black youth derives primarily from studies that focus on the impact of parental racial socialization from a racial/monoidentity perspective without accounting for the roles of youth’s other worlds (i.e., schools, classrooms, and peers) and the intersection of their social identities in their identity development experiences. In using Phelan, Davidson, and Cao’s Multiple Worlds model as a framework as well as Black girls’ own words, we explore the beliefs and attitudes Black girls hold about race and their own racial categorization, as well as the processes that contribute to their learning about race (and racism) during early adolescence. We find that the Black girls in the present study are making meaning of their ERI, in part, in response to stereotypical and biased messages about their identities within their multiple worlds (i.e., schools, classrooms, families, and peers). The findings support the need for an expanded view of the messages and experiences that influence the ERI development process by illustrating that schools, classrooms, peers, and families are important socializing environments that influence the ERI development process for Black girls.

Becoming Strong: Sociocultural Experiences, Mental Health, & Black Girls' Strong Black Woman Schema Endorsement

“…Furthermore, given prior theoretical and qualitative research that suggests that Black girls are socialized to be strong and that Black mothers identify SBW‐related attributes (i.e., independence, assertiveness, strong‐willed) as critical to navigating race‐ and gender‐based discrimination (Belgrave, 2009; Oshin & Milan, 2019; Sharp & Ispa, 2009), we would have expected that racial barrier messages would have strengthened the effects of racial discrimination on SBW endorsement. As such, it is possible that our null findings suggest that there are unique ways that Black girls’ lived experiences of racial discrimination operate to shape SBW endorsement that differ from the messages about racial barriers that they receive from their parents (Mims & Williams, 2020; Oshin & Milan, 2019).…”

School Discrimination, Discipline Inequities, and Adjustment Among Black Adolescent Girls and Boys: An Intersectionality‐Informed Approach

“…Black adolescents are often embedded in racialized school contexts, which devalue their existence and undermine their well-being. These school experiences can adversely impact self-perceptions, identity development, psychological adjustment, and a number of academic-related outcomes (i.e., academic achievement, academic motivation and persistence, goal orientation) (Banerjee, Byrd, & Rowley, 2018;Butler-Barnes, Estrada-Martinez, Colin, & Jones, 2015;Leath et al, 2021;Mims & Williams, 2020;Morris, Seaton, Iida, & Lindstrom Johnson, 2020;Singh, Chang, & Dika, 2010). A focal point of the existing literature has been the contextualization of academic-related outcomes of Black youth, including highlighting systemic structures and oppressive practices that influence the academic trajectories of Black youth.…”

“…Though there is great similarity in the schoolrelated experiences of Black children and adolescents, consideration of their unique racialized and gendered experiences in school settings is paramount to fully understand how school discrimination and disciplinary practices impact learning opportunities and well-being. Studies have pointed to the many ways, in which race and gender converge to influence the school-related experiences of Black children, adolescents, and youth (Cooper et al, 2013;Edwards, 2021;Mims & Williams, 2020;Seaton & Tyson, 2019;Smith & Hope, 2020;Velez & Spencer, 2018). For example, nationally, suspension rates are among the highest for both Black boys and girls (Epstein, Black, & Gonzalez, 2017;Onyeka-Crawford et al, 2017;Schott Foundation, 2010;Skiba, Michael, Nardo, & Peterson, 2002).…”

“…Recent scholarship has contributed greatly to our understanding of disproportionate school discipline policies and discrimination at the intersection of race and gender for Black youth and has provided a more comprehensive illustration of the ways, in which Black girls are impacted (Butler- Barnes & Inniss-Thompson, 2020;Hines-Datiri & Carter Andrews, 2020;Leath et al, 2021;Mims & Williams, 2020;Morris & Perry, 2017;Young & Butler, 2018). For instance, Morris and Perry (2017) analysis of disciplinary infractions of a Midwestern school district found that across middle schools and high schools, Black boys were two times as likely to receive a disciplinary referral compared with White boys, while Black girls were three times as likely to receive a disciplinary referral compared with White girls.…”

Investigating Longitudinal Associations Between Racial Microaggressions, Coping, Racial/Ethnic Identity, and Mental Health in Black Girls and Women

“…Unfortunately, violence against Black women (e.g., Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson) is often overshadowed and virtually invisible in the media. Yet, despite this social context, some Black girls reject negative stereotypes and develop positive identities that lead to resistance through social justice and civic engagement (Mims & Williams, 2020). In this case, positive racial/ethnic identity and can serve as a source of pride in contexts where their group is socially devalued (Rivas‐Drake et al., 2014).…”