Prioritizing Marginality and Resistance in Racial Identity Research

Ample research shows that racial identity—how one understands and relates to their racial group—is a key developmental resource for young people, particularly Black youth and youth from racially minoritized communities in the United States. The far reach of racial identity is notable and has nurtured a robust literature focused on the strengths and resources that flourish within marginalized families and communities. Still, racial identity for youth living at the margins of society is more than an individual-level resource; it is also a collective process of resistance for liberation. Guided by the m(ai)cro framework, which locates the macrosystem as the epicenter of human development, we take this review article as an opportunity to reflect on the radical potential that resides at the edges of racial identity research. Specifically, we describe four m(ai)cro shifts that can move racial identity research beyond its current focus on ( a ) the individual (to include the sociopolitical), ( b ) discrete racial categories (to include intersectionality and multiraciality), ( c ) racial oppression (to include whiteness and privilege), and ( d ) measures that assess the amount or degree (i.e., “how much”) of racial identity constructs (to prioritize meaning-making and lived experience). Our hope is to engage a critical reflection that continues to scaffold a racial identity scholarship that is fueled by and toward collective resistance and liberation.