Black Identity in Action: Examining Ethnic and Racial Identity, Racial Discrimination, and Collective Action Among Black Individuals

This paper examines the factors that contribute to Black participants’ use of collective action strategies (i.e., activism and active coping) to combat experiences of racial discrimination. Previously, researchers have examined racial discrimination, ethnic identity, and racial identity in separate models from one another. We propose that ethnic and racial identity both mediate the relationship between racial discrimination and collective action, such that both ethnic and racial identity explain Black individuals’ engagement in activism and active coping after discriminatory experiences. We surveyed 313 Black individuals about their experiences and conducted a parallel mediation analysis to test our hypotheses. The results indicate that, as predicted, ethnic and racial identity mediated the relationship between racial discrimination, activism, and active coping. Overall, the findings from this study have theoretical and practical implications for how ethnic and racial identity can be used to improve the well-being of individuals in the African diaspora.