Racial Identity and Religiosity among Black Youth

Drawing upon William J. Cross's Nigrescence Model (1971, 2001), W.E.B. DuBois's (1903) double consciousness perspective and other related social psychological frameworks, this qualitative study explored the reciprocal impact of racial identity and religious socialization on a sample of 40 African American and Black South African youth, who had a strong affiliation with either a school (secular setting) or a church (religious setting). The findings reveal that while racial socialization among African American families is normative and forms a crucial part of parenting, such practices are not prevalent among Black South African families. In addition, when exploring the Nigrescence model, most youth in both countries said they do not believe in the salience of race, especially in interpersonal relationships, and they do not harbor negative feelings about their Blackness. South African youth more frequently exhibited signs of an inferiority complex when comparing themselves to their white counterparts in terms of intelligence, innovation, and success. Third, most youth in both countries and in both school and church settings were raised with strong Christian values within families