Learning to Resist: Black Children’s Sociopolitical Development and Responses to Inequality

Using child-centered interviews and drawing activities, this study explored qualitatively how children in Black immigrant and Black American families perceived inequality, made meaning of their socialization experiences, and developed sociopolitical awareness in early to middle childhood. The sample included ten Black 8–9-year-old children from low-income families living in a high-poverty, urban context in the Northeast United States. We found that young children recognized racial inequities, interpreted family and community messages about injustice, and engaged in acts of resistance exemplifying emerging Black activism. These insights highlight how marginalized children’s lived experiences foster resilience within ecological and intersectional frameworks of Black activism.