Exploring Black Youth's Belief in Racial Socialization Across Parental and Non-parental Agents.

Historically, racial socialization (RS) literature has focused on the content and frequency of RS messages communicated between Black parents and youth. In an effort to examine the potential added benefit of receiving RS messages from non-parental agents, three hierarchical linear regressions were tested among a sample of Black youth (ages 14–21). Black youths' acquisition of protection and bicultural coping messages from parents were associated with their belief in racial protection messages along with select relevant covariates. Black youths' acquisition of protection and racial stereotyping messages from parental agents and racial stereotyping messages from non-parental agents were associated with their belief in racial stereotyping messages. Finally, Black youths' belief in bicultural coping messages were association with their acquisition of protection, racial stereotyping, and bicultural coping messages from parental agents and racial stereotyping and bicultural coping messages from non-parental agents. Findings underscore the enduring role parental and non-parental figures serve in Black youths' racial socialization experiences across ecological contexts. As such, future interventions and community-based programs should be oriented towards equipping parents and supports for Black youth (e.g., including multiracial families) with the competency to communicate racial pride and skillfully support Black children's management of racialized experiences. Highlights: Parental agents remain a primary agent of racial socialization messages among Black youth. Non-parental agents are influential in youths' endorsement of bicultural coping and racial stereotyping messages. Racial protection messages were the most salient type of message among the Black youth in our study such that specific parent and youth factors may impact Black youths' belief in racial protection messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]