{"id":20051,"date":"2023-06-20T20:55:35","date_gmt":"2023-06-20T19:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/?p=20051"},"modified":"2025-05-08T23:11:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T22:11:16","slug":"fostering-social-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Fostering Social Justice: White Adolescents&#8217; Social Justice Action Requires Race Conscious Environments"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #121c4e;color:#121c4e\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #121c4e;color:#121c4e\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/#Key_takeaways_for_caregivers\" >Key takeaways for caregivers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/#Children_receive_messages_about_race_and_color-blindness_from_multiple_sources\" >Children receive messages about race and color-blindness from multiple sources<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/#What_social_contexts_about_race_and_racism_do_white_adolescents_in_the_United_States_experience\" >What social contexts about race and racism do white adolescents in the United States experience?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/#How_did_different_racial_environments_affect_white_adolescents_social_justice_action\" >How did different racial environments affect white adolescents\u2019 social justice action?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/#How_can_parents_foster_social_justice_attitudes_and_behaviors_in_their_white_children\" >How can parents foster social justice attitudes and behaviors in their white children?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/#How_can_parents_and_caregivers_foster_a_race-conscious_environment_for_white_youth\" >How can parents and caregivers foster a race-conscious environment for white youth?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/fostering-social-justice\/#In_conclusion_%E2%80%93_racial_justice_requires_reckoning_with_whiteness_and_countering_narratives\" >In conclusion &#8211; racial justice requires reckoning with whiteness and countering narratives<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_takeaways_for_caregivers\"><\/span><strong>Key takeaways for caregivers<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Parents, peers, and schools all represent crucial influences that shape how white<sup>1<\/sup> adolescents make sense of racism and their actions toward social justice.<\/li>\n<li>Having explicit conversations with white youth about racism and embedding children in racially diverse environments that acknowledge race are essential to countering the dominant color-blind narrative that race \u201cdoesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Conversations about race with white youth must go beyond simply acknowledging historical and contemporary racism toward encouraging anti-racist attitudes and actions to address inequities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Children_receive_messages_about_race_and_color-blindness_from_multiple_sources\"><\/span><strong>Children receive messages about race and color-blindness from multiple sources<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There is no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ibramxkendi.com\/how-to-be-an-antiracist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cneutral\u201d<\/a> in racism. All youth learn to either reinforce or disrupt <a href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/neighborhood-inequality\/\">systems of inequality<\/a> that uphold and maintain a racist status quo. As such, shielding white children from learning about race and the United States\u2019 racist history encourages a way of knowing that is untethered to the country\u2019s racial realities and further sustains white supremacy and racism.<\/p>\n<p>Contrary to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ideas.ted.com\/why-saying-i-dont-see-race-at-all-just-makes-racism-worse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">color-blind<\/a> narrative that positions racism as a thing of the past and \u201ceveryone as equal,\u201d racism is embedded in structural forces (e.g., law, institutions, housing) and continues to shape <em>all<\/em> people\u2019s experiences (though differently). The color-blind narrative is pervasive among white parents and caregivers and within predominantly white institutions (including school settings). For instance, only <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/education\/2021\/09\/10\/crt-schools-education-racism-slavery-poll\/5772418001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">53% of white parents<\/a> believe schools should teach about the ongoing effects of slavery and racism in the United States, while 82% of Black parents hold this belief.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>For white youth, social environments that counter the color-blind narrative and instead address racism may be integral to fostering social justice action.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Regardless of whether children receive explicit messaging about race, they interpret the various experiences, interactions, and (un)intentional <a href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/common-stereotypes-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">messages<\/a> in their lives. Parents, peers, and schools are three interrelated influences that shape how children make sense of race during adolescence. For white youth, social environments that counter the color-blind narrative and instead address racism may be integral to fostering social justice action.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_social_contexts_about_race_and_racism_do_white_adolescents_in_the_United_States_experience\"><\/span><strong>What social contexts about race and racism do white adolescents in the United States experience?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/cdev.13812\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">our research study<\/a>, we examined the myriad influences that shape how white youth make sense of racism and the resulting impacts on their social justice behaviors. We used survey data from the <a href=\"http:\/\/garp.education.uci.edu\/madics.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study<\/a> to examine 323 white adolescents\u2019 racial environments (i.e., the social contexts that may shape their beliefs and attitudes about race and racism), with particular attention to <a href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/benefits-of-conversations-with-toddlers\">conversations with parents<\/a> about race and racial attitudes, cross-race friendships, and conversations with peers about race.<\/p>\n<p>We also looked at the diversity of youth\u2019s schools with respect to racial composition and curriculum. We then explored how these different racial environments during adolescence (16-17 years old) related to white youth\u2019s social justice actions two years later in young adulthood. All participants in the study lived in a racially and socioeconomically diverse county in the Eastern United States.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20055\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20055\" class=\"wp-image-20055 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366.jpg\" alt=\"Group of teenagers eating ice cream.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366-356x237.jpg 356w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366-700x466.jpg 700w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-10506366-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/group-of-young-men-eating-ice-cream-10506366\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cottonbro studio<\/a>. Pexels.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>The racial environments of most adolescents (80%) were characterized by silence or passivity about race. Such environments align with a color-blind narrative in which <a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1080\/23793406.2016.1260634\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">racism is downplayed or ignored<\/a>, limiting white adolescents&#8217; ability to disrupt and challenge racism. However, the racial environments of some adolescents (20%) were more <em>race conscious, <\/em>meaning that race-related conversations occurred more frequently, schools were racially diverse and acknowledged race and racism in the curriculum, and adolescents had cross-race friendships.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_different_racial_environments_affect_white_adolescents_social_justice_action\"><\/span><strong>How did different racial environments affect white adolescents\u2019 social justice action?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>White <a href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/adolescent-skills-development\/\">adolescents<\/a> in <em>race-conscious<\/em> environments were engaged in more social justice behaviors during young adulthood than were white adolescents in racial environments characterized by silence. These behaviors included participating in civil rights or women\u2019s rights groups. Our findings suggest that when white youth are in environments that are racially diverse and that acknowledge race and racism, they are more likely to take action in young adulthood to promote and foster social justice.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_parents_foster_social_justice_attitudes_and_behaviors_in_their_white_children\"><\/span><strong>How can parents foster social justice attitudes and behaviors in their white children?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The findings of our study, in conjunction with other recent findings, challenge the often-espoused color-blind belief that not talking about race promotes equity. Instead, they suggest that <a href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/talking-to-children-about-racism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">having explicit conversations<\/a> about racism and inequality, and embedding children in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1080\/01419870.2013.848289?casa_token=UpKUaQJbpakAAAAA:o8AvcydTCRjPEJelzVh3TJ03OGTemntiwAxsYikL2nkb9JW7RS41QnjBBVFEB1vgzKtlC-G1c6Eo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">environments<\/a> (e.g., schools) that are racially diverse or conscious of racism, can foster white adolescents\u2019 reflection and actions toward creating and maintaining equitable social conditions for all people.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_can_parents_and_caregivers_foster_a_race-conscious_environment_for_white_youth\"><\/span><strong>How can parents and caregivers foster a race-conscious environment for white youth?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>First, parents and caregivers of white children should reflect about their own racial attitudes and beliefs. As we saw in our study, even parents who believed they had \u201cpositive\u201d racial attitudes may foster a color-blind racial environment for their children.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Parents and caregivers must talk early and often with their white children about racism.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Thus, parents should challenge themselves to think critically about race in the United States and how their own racial identity relates to the ongoing perpetuation or disruption of racism. Numerous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peps.org\/ParentResources\/by-topic\/anti-racist-resources-parents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">resources<\/a> are available to prompt such critical reflection, including engaging with the works (e.g., film, books, art) of authors and artists of color that portray the racial realities of the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Second, after such reflection, parents and caregivers must talk <a href=\"https:\/\/nmaahc.si.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/downloads\/resources\/children_are_not_colorblind.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">early and often<\/a> with their white children about racism. For instance, when children bring up or notice race, parents should discuss what their child is noticing rather than silence them or communicate that noticing race is bad.<\/p>\n<h3>Building white adolescents&#8217; skills<\/h3>\n<p>Discussing race and racism, celebrating and recognizing the contributions of people of color (which are often <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nea.org\/advocating-for-change\/new-from-nea\/educators-step-demand-racially-diverse-curriculum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">excluded<\/a> from mainstream narratives), addressing racialized police killings and <a href=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/when-violence-hits-a-college-campus\">violence<\/a>, and reflecting on the history and current manifestations of white supremacy are integral to building white adolescents\u2019 skills for anti-racism work and for actively communicating the racial realities of the United States. (See EmbraceRace <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embracerace.org\/resources\/topic\/raising-white-children\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">raising young white allies<\/a> for more resources.)<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the results of our study highlight the multidimensional nature of children\u2019s racial environments. In other words, it is not <em>just<\/em> parents who play a role in how children make sense of racism, but rather a multitude of influences, including but not limited to peers and school. As such, fostering white youth\u2019s social justice behaviors means embedding children in racially diverse environments in which cross-race friendships can form and where school curricula acknowledge and affirm people of color.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_20056\" style=\"width: 1289px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-20056\" class=\"wp-image-20056 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1279\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716.jpg 1279w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716-356x237.jpg 356w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716-700x467.jpg 700w, https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/pexels-ron-lach-10484716-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1279px) 100vw, 1279px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-20056\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/small-group-of-teenagers-going-for-walk-to-forest-10484716\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ron Lach<\/a>. Pexels.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>White parents and caregivers can also promote change in their children\u2019s schools by standing with parents of color as allies and teaching their children to stand up against racism. Parents can also support candidates in local and national elections who recognize the importance of discussing racism in educational settings. (Read\u00a0more information on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.learningforjustice.org\/magazine\/fall-2022\/centering-diverse-parents-in-the-crt-debate\">the debate about critical race theory in schools<\/a> here.)<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_conclusion_%E2%80%93_racial_justice_requires_reckoning_with_whiteness_and_countering_narratives\"><\/span>In conclusion &#8211; racial justice requires reckoning with whiteness and countering narratives<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The take-home message is that reaching a state of racial justice requires reckoning with whiteness and countering the pervasive color-blind narratives that produce false and inaccurate understandings of racism in the United States. In particular, our study demonstrates how race-conscious environments can counter the racist status quo by building white youth\u2019s efforts for social justice. Our findings also underscore the role of white parents and caregivers in ensuring that the next generation strives for an equitable and anti-racist society.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em><sup>1 <\/sup><\/em><\/strong><em>Although the style of the Child &amp; Family Blog is to capitalize \u2018White,\u2019 the authors have intentionally not capitalized the word <\/em>w<em>hen it refers to skin color. For information supporting this rule, please see <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/entertainment-cultures-race-and-ethnicity-us-news-ap-top-news-7e36c00c5af0436abc09e051261fff1f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Associated Press<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>White adolescents who are in environments that acknowledge racism and inequities take more actions toward social justice in young adulthood.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":267,"featured_media":20054,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5767],"tags":[45,25,267,48,476,6],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20051"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/267"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20051"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22035,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20051\/revisions\/22035"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20054"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/childandfamilyblog.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}