BLM: “Black Lives Matter”

ABOUT

Children can consistently identify their own race and are aware of the social world by middle childhood, which makes it a particularly important time for racial identity development (Byrd, 2012). The Black Lives Matter Movement marks a sociopolitical moment that has allowed a narrative to emerge in mainstream media about the ongoing violence toward, and oppression of, Black Americans. In the #BlackLivesMatter project, DICE asks how the Black Lives Matter Movement has impacted the ways in which children make sense of their own developing racial identities.

DICE explores this question with a longitudinal mixed-method study, with the goal of understanding how the macro-cultural context and sociopolitical events, such as presidential elections and racial protests, shape children’s emerging racial narratives. Using in-depth interview data from children (ages 7-14) in racially diverse low-income schools, DICE is interested in examining how the salience of race and content of children’s racial narratives have changed in the context of the Black Lives Matter Movement. The results of this study will contribute to understanding the ways that macro-level events impact how children engage with their evolving racial identities.

If you are interested in learning more about our study, please email us at thedicelab@gmail.com

Readings

  1. Byrd, C. M. (2012). The measurement of racial/ethnic identity in children: A critical review. Journal of Black Psychology, 38, 3–31. [LINK]
  2. Quintana, S. M., Aboud, F. E., Chao, R. K., Contreras-Grau, J., Cross, W. E., Hudley, C., Vietze, D. L. (2006). Race, ethnicity, and culture in child development: Contemporary research and future directions. Child Development, 77, 1129–1141. [LINK]
  3. Spencer, M. B., Dupree, D., & Hartmann, T. (1997). A phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST): a self-organization perspective in context. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 817–833. [LINK]
  4. Thomas, A. (2017). The Hate U Give. HarperCollins.