ERIC Number: EJ1311879
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Sep
Pages: 34
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0743-5584
EISSN: N/A
"Oh, You're Pretty for a Dark-Skinned Girl": Black Adolescent Girls' Identities and Resistance to Colorism
Rosario, R. Josiah; Minor, Imani; Rogers, Leoandra Onnie
Journal of Adolescent Research, v36 n5 p501-534 Sep 2021
The current analysis explored the relevance of colorism among Black girls enrolled at a predominately Black, all-girls high school, with a specific focus on their identities and well-being. Fifty-nine Black girls (M[subscript age] = 16.97) completed a survey and semi-structured interview. Results from a two-step quant-qual analysis indicate a strong positive association between rejecting colorist ideology and positive self-esteem. Open coding of semi-structured interviews showed that 75% (n = 44) of the sample spontaneously mentioned colorist ideology when describing their racial and gender identities, including references to "skin color" (56%), "hair texture/style" (50%), "attractiveness/femininity" (38%), and "body type" (18%). More importantly, 74% of these discussions indicated resistance to colorism illustrating Black girls' engagement with and denouncement of ideologies of white supremacy, patriarchy, and anti-blackness. This critical qualitative analysis illustrates and offers guidance for practicing anti-racist adolescent research. We offer four insights: (a) consider the research spaces in which Black youth in our research are situated to better represent the diversity (and potential) of Black youth; (b) listen to and and follow the voices of Black girls; (c) attend to agency and resistance in development; and (d) recognize intersectionality as integral to anti-racist research.
Descriptors: African American Students, Racial Composition, Females, Single Sex Schools, High School Students, Identification (Psychology), Well Being, Correlation, Ideology, Racial Bias, Self Esteem, Human Body, Individual Characteristics, Resistance (Psychology), Gender Bias, Adolescents, Stereotypes, Educational Environment, Adolescent Development, Urban Schools
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A