The relationship between Black Americans’ exposure to vicarious racism and collective action

Vicarious racism-hearing or witnessing racism directed at one's racial group-is increasingly recognized as a powerful stressor with psychological and behavioral consequences. However, little is known about how these experiences fuel collective action among Black individuals. Drawing on the Dual Pathway Model of Collective Action, we ran two studies examining the relationship between vicarious racism and collective action among Black adults. In Study 1 (N = 410) we conducted a correlational study testing group-based anger and collective efficacy as mediators and racial centrality as a potential pathway moderator. Results revealed that vicarious racism robustly predicted collective action. This relationship was mediated by both group-based anger and collective efficacy. In Study 2 (N = 367), we conducted a pre-registered experiment to explore the causal relationship between acute exposure to vicarious racism and collective action. In line with our correlational results, results showed that acute exposure to vicarious racism influenced collective action intentions, mediated by group-based anger. In this experimental study, the path from vicarious racism to group-based anger was moderated by racial centrality. Participants that rated race as more central to their self-concept were most likely to engage in collective action after being exposed to vicarious racism because it heightened their anger. Implications regarding how vicarious racism not only harms Black individuals but also motivates community resilience and resistance are discussed, as well as limitations and future directions.