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Black women and activism
Activism, most simply defined as everyday acts of defiance’ [5], p. 283) has a longstanding history and cultural importance within the Black American community [39]. From enslavement and abolitionist rebellions to the Civil Rights Movement, and now the Black Lives Matter Movement, Black Americans, including Black women, have engaged in acts of resistance to advance social and political change, equity, and equality [3, 51, 80].
The psychological experiences of Black women in the United States are unlike any other gendered racial group; Black women have a particularly complex and intricate history in America [7, 40]. Despite the well-documented existence of Black women's activism engagement, little scientific research exists regarding this population's psychological and psychosocial experiences. Ross [68] examined the relationships between Black women’s activism, perceived racism, and psychological empowerment. Similar to activism, the team defined psychological empowerment as being able to “mobilize community resources” (p. 432), given an adequate understanding of sociopolitical influences on issues affecting the Black community. Their findings indicated a significant positive relationship between psychological empowerment and activism, the higher a participant’s score in psychological empowerment, the more likely they were to be involved in activism. Our results provide an investigational foundation for understanding Black women’s activism motivations and engagement by identifying fundamental psychological mechanisms at play in the activism process.
Examinations of racial identity or gendered racial identity may also help to better understand Black women’s involvement in activism. Previous research has found significant positive relationships between racial centrality, psychological empowerment, and activism in Black-identifying samples [53]. Intersectionality is a perspective that identifies multiple systems of privilege and oppression and explores how those systems shape people’s experiences [16, 17]. This theory can aid in understanding activism motivations and participation by offering a perspective that acknowledges social power and social institutions’ influences on identity. Love [54] found that millennial Black women involved in social justice efforts were likelier to perceive their identity intersectionally. Ultimately, these women’s acknowledgments of their multiple marginalized identities influenced their involvement in social justice endeavors [54].
Concerning Black women's reasons for engaging in activism, Faver [29] conducted a qualitative study and found three motivations for women's participation in activism: (a) to ensure rights, (b) to fulfill responsibilities, and (c) to restore relationships and build...