“[L]ike if you was white you would get more slack…especially in the law”: Black Girls’ Awareness of Inequality

• In Event: Experiences of and Awareness of Social Inequalities and Status Hierarchies in Childhood

Abstract

Inequality in America is sustained through multiple systems and structures, as well as the cultural ideologies that support them (McLean & Syed, 2015; Rogers & Way, 2021). White supremacy and patriarchy are examples of oppressive cultural ideologies that position white people and males above Black people and females. These ideologies are also intersectional, such that Black girls, being Black and female, are uniquely marginalized and devalued (Bailey & Trudy, 2018; Crenshaw et al., 2015), a positionality that impacts their social, academic, and physical health and wellbeing (Epstein et al., 2017; Morris, 2016). Promoting healthy development in an oppressive society requires a critical awareness of and resistance to ideologies that support inequality (Rogers & Way, 2021; Ward, 2018). The current analysis listens to how adolescent Black girls understand intersectional inequalities, asking: How do Black girls describe race, gender, and intersectionality inequality, and is there variability across these dimensions of inequality?

Data were drawn from a longitudinal, mixed-method study at an all-girls, public charter high school that served predominantly (98%) Black girls from working-class families. Participants were recruited via classroom visits, staff meetings, and emails; parent consent forms were returned to the school. All data were collected at the school by Black women (undergraduate graduate students, and faculty). This analysis includes 60 Black girls (M =16.17 years, SD = 1.23) who completed the semi-structured individual interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded (M = 49 minutes, SD = 1.26) and transcribed. We analyzed the three sets of interview questions on the topics of Race, Gender, and Intersectionality.

Using open coding (Wolcott, 1994; Rogers et al., 2021), we coded instances of when adolescent Black girls exhibited awareness of oppression. We identified two types of awareness: A1 - Awareness of Stereotypes/Expectations named stereotypes or norms upheld by individuals or groups (“They think a lot of African Americans are really […]violent… But, we're really not. We're just really overprotective of each other”). These responses were more focused on individuals than society or systems. A2 - Awareness of Hierarchy/Power emphasized power differentials tied to social systems and structures, beyond interpersonal interactions (“Not everything comes equal. We aren’t even paid the same; jobwise it’s so hard”). We then analyzed the prevalence of awareness (A1 and A2) across the dimensions of inequality. For Race, 87% of the sample expressed awareness of racial stereotypes and interpersonal discrimination (A1) and 85% reported awareness of racial hierarchy/power (A2). For Gender, 97% expressed awareness of gender stereotypes (A1), but only 37% of girls made references to gender hierarchy/power (A2). For Intersectionality, 65% exhibited awareness of specific Black girl stereotypes (A1) and 55% discussed intersectional structures of hierarchy/power (A2).

In sum, the majority of Black girls were aware of inequality, especially with regard to racial stereotypes, structures and systems and those related to intersectionality. While most girls exhibited awareness of gender stereotypes, few were aware of gender hierarchy/power. Our analysis highlights the voices of Black girls and contributes to the literature on how young people perceive and experience inequality at the intersection of their identities.

Authors

• Leoandra Onnie Rogers, Northwestern University
  Presenting Author

• Sohini Das, New York University

• Joelle Moore

• Chiara Dorsi