Queering Black activism: Exploring the relationship between racial identity and Black activist orientation among Black LGBTQ youth

Abstract

Linked fate, or connection to the Black community, may be a pathway to engagement in social justice action for Black liberation. The purpose of this study is to understand the role of racial identity on Black queer youths' orientation toward Black activism. We used hierarchical linear regression to examine relationships between dimensions of racial identity and Black activism orientation among 142 queer-identified youth. We found that racial centrality and racial ideologies predicted high-risk activism orientation. Additionally, assimilationist ideology moderated the relationship between racial centrality and high-risk activism orientation. The degree to which Black queer youth feel race is central to their self-concept relates with their intent to engage in Black activism. These findings demonstrate that racial ideologies matter distinctively to activism orientation and offer that perception of risk nuances linked fate as a pathway to activism for Black queer youth.