Colorblind and Colorlined: African American Parents Talk to Their Adolescent Sons About Racism

Abstract

Racial socialization, particularly preparation for bias and discrimination, is a long documented strategy employed by African American families to prepare their children for racist encounters. During the last fifteen years a new line of inquiry, theorizing the relationship between particular socio-historical periods and the content of messages communicated to children about race, has emerged. Scholars have started exploring African Americans’ narratives about the messaging they received about racism against the backdrop of the social and historical period in which they came of age. In the period before the Brown v. Board decision many recalled hearing messages of the importance of deferring to whites. After the landmark decision and into the post-protest era, many reported hearing messages that were less focused on fearing whites and more focused on feeling pride as a Black person and in the Black race. Overall, messages have accurately reflected the then current state of racism and the particular etiquette required of African Americans to navigate a racially structured society. Furthermore, a look at changes in messaging over time suggests progress made on issues of racism. The experiences of the hip-hop generation, those born between 1965 and 1984, have not been documented. This study explored the messages that they received about racism along with the messages that they are currently sharing with their sons in a period equally marked by colorblind rhetoric and virulent anti-black racism. Using the theoretical frameworks of Critical Race Theory and the Life Course Perspective, I conducted 51 interviews with 17 families. Today’s African American parents continue to convey many of the messages that their families shared with them, about the importance of individual and group pride, but there has been a distinct and unexpected addition to the content of the talks that they are having with their sons. Eerily similar to the messages conveyed to children pre Brown v. Board, parents’ messaging about race largely urged compliance, fear of whites, and fear of figures of authority.