Examining the Relationship Among Self-Reported Assertiveness, Perceived Discrimination, and College Environment in a National Sample of Black Women Law Students

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to examine college environment, defined as whether law students entered law school from a historically Black college or university or a traditionally White institution, as a moderator of the relationship between gender discrimination and assertiveness. Using a national sample of 402 incoming Black women law students and multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with covariates, the authors also tested whether college environment moderated the relationship between racial discrimination and assertiveness. CFA models with covariates were used to further investigate whether racial discrimination and gender discrimination interact to influence assertiveness. Results indicated that college environment did not moderate the relationship between gender discrimination and assertiveness. College environment also did not moderate the relationship between racial discrimination and assertiveness. Additional results revealed a significant interaction between racial and gender discrimination, whereby racial discrimination was positively related to assertiveness among students who experienced gender discrimination. Findings suggest that irrespective of college environment, racism and sexism intersect to enhance assertiveness and may increase students’ academic success. However, law school administrators should ultimately seek to reduce incidents of racism and sexism because students’ assertive responses could make them vulnerable to mental health risks and to further acts of discrimination.