Biracial, Black, and proud: Can racial pride protect Biracial-Black young people from identity invalidation and depressive symptoms?

A growing body of theory and research suggests that racial identity invalidation (RII)-the active denial of a person's racial identity and/or belonging to the racial group(s) they identify with-may play an important role in the mental health problems that Biracial Black-White youth face. However, research has yet to explore this empirically. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by examining whether RII was associated with depressive symptoms among Biracial Black-White adolescents and emerging adults (N = 713; 61% male; M = 18.40, SD = 3.71). From an intersectional and strengths-based lens, we also explore if (a) Biracial and Black pride individually or collectively moderate the relationship between RII and depressive symptoms and (b) if any of these associations differ by gender. The analyses included two hierarchical linear regressions (one for girls and one for boys) that were conducted using Model 3 of the PROCESS Macro in SPSS. The results indicated that RII was associated with depression symptoms for all participants. We also found several significant interaction effects illustrating that Biracial and Black pride both played a meaningful role in the relationship between RII and the mental health of the participants, but different patterns emerged for girls and boys. Collectively, the results position RII as a salient risk factor for Biracial Black-White adolescents and emerging adults while also illuminating the promotive and protective power of racial pride. The implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Multiracial-Black Socialization Model: Conceptualizing racial socialization in Multiracial-Black families.

Scholars have spent the last four decades expanding the theoretical understanding of parental racial socialization-or parent-child communication about race. What is largely absent from existing conceptualizations, however, is a consideration for how the practice manifests in Multiracial families. The interracial structure of Multiracial families complicates racial socialization in ways that are not being captured in empirical research due to the overreliance on universal frameworks. It is imperative that we close this theoretical gap as the proportion of Multiracial families in the United States is expanding at record rates. Accordingly, we present the Multiracial-Black Socialization Model (MRB-SM) in this paper. The MRB-SM is designed explicitly for Multiracial-Black families, one of the fastest-growing sub-groups of Multiracial families. The model builds upon the strengths of universal socialization theories by outlining the content, process, and context components of racial socialization in Multiracial-Black families. The implications for research are discussed.

Exploring the association between parental ethnic-racial socialization and parental closeness on Black-White biracial adolescents' choice of racial identification toward blackness.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influences of Black-White biracial adolescents' choice to racially identify with Blackness, parental ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) messages, parental race, and perceived parental closeness were examined. Specifically, this study investigated how messages that promote monoracial Black pride and messages that prepare youth for monoracial Black bias may be related to adolescents' identification with Blackness, and whether parental race or parental closeness moderated these relationships. METHOD: Three hundred thirty Black-White biracial adolescents (Mage = 14.82) were recruited across the United States via social media. Participants completed the Racial Socialization Questionnaire for Biracial Adolescents and a demographic questionnaire to indicate how close they felt to each parent. The analytic sample (n = 280) included respondents who racially identified as exclusively Black, blended Black, or exclusively biracial. RESULTS: Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed significant differences in the association between ERS messages and adolescent racial identification based on the race of the parent socializer. Further moderation analyses indicated that parental closeness, particularly regarding fathers, amplifies these findings. CONCLUSION: Maternal and paternal ERS messages are differentially associated with biracial adolescents' choice of racial identification toward Blackness. interestingly, ERS messages from White parents seem to significantly influence racial identification compared to Black parents. Parental closeness further elucidates these findings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

"When I Think of Black Girls, I Think of Opportunities": Black Girls' Identity Development and the Protective Role of Parental Socialization in Educational Settings.

While educational settings may be envisioned as safe spaces that facilitate learning, foster creativity, and promote healthy development for youth, research has found that this is not always true for Black girls. Their negative experiences within educational settings are both gendered and racialized, often communicating broader societal perceptions of Black girls that ultimately shape their identity development. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with adolescent Black girls (n = 12), the current investigation explored Black girls' educational experiences, their meaning making of Black girlhood, and the role of parents in their positive development. By centering Black girls' voices, this study illuminated how Black girls negotiate their multiple marginalized identities and how their identities are shaped by their home and school environments. Findings revealed that Black girls are aware of the difficulties in navigating educational settings for Black girls, but this awareness was coupled with parental support that promoted positive gendered racial identities for Black girls in middle school and high school. This investigation advanced current knowledge of Black girls' identity development and highlighted the protective role of parental socialization. Future research directions and implications are also discussed.

Concordant and Discordant Patterns of Parental Racial Socialization among Biracial Black-White Adolescents: Correlates and Consequences.

Multiracial-Black youth are one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S., but little is known about their racialized developmental experiences. This study uses Latent Profile Analysis to identify patterns of parental racial socialization among Biracial Black-White adolescents and explore whether those profiles relate to demographics and racial identity outcomes. The sample consisted of 330 Biracial Black-White adolescents living in the U.S. (67% boys; Mage = 14.8, SD = 1.5). The analysis yielded a four-profile solution based on (1) the frequency of socialization messages youth received and (2) the concordance of those messages across both of their parents (i.e., whether socialization frequency is similar or different between Black and white parents). Profile membership differed based on youth gender and racialized appearance (i.e., whether youth presented physically as Black, white, or racially ambiguous). Ultimately, adolescents in the profile with the highest frequency and concordance of parental racial socialization reported more adaptive racial identity attitudes including a sense of pride in being Black and Biracial. Youth in that profile also felt the most comfortable navigating the intersections of their racial identities, which coupled with racial pride has promising implications for their development and wellbeing.