"Raise Your Hand Until They See You": Racial Socialization Within the Black Middle Class

• In Event: 32.083 - Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 32.083-11 - Speaking Back: Black Students Claiming Space and Strength

Abstract

This research explores racial socialization practices among the Black middle class. Using Critical Race Theory centralizes the focus on how marginalized populations make meaning of their educational experiences and interpret interactions within educational institutions in America. Building upon literature that centers upon ways in which the Black community instills cultural pride, explicates racial hierarchies and engenders a protective mechanism for perceived discrimination, this study undergirds these truths with counter-stories from the lived experience within a Midwestern multicultural suburban school that is known for its diversity efforts, yet fails to fully realize and connect with their Black population. Findings reveal a need to address racial and economic bias and assumptions, community divisions, and relational disconnections.

Author

• Larissa Malone, Greenville College