Longitudinal Effects of the "Acting White" Accusation and Racial Identity Development Among Black College Students.

Abstract

The "acting White" accusation (AWA) is a type of cultural invalidation that undermines the racial authenticity of Black youths. This study examines how the AWA and racial identity (RI) influence one another longitudinally during the transition to college for Black students. Findings were moderated by gender. For Black males, a negative feedback loop emerged for RI centrality where AWA experiences predicted lower centrality, which then predicted more AWA experiences over a 2-year period. Additionally, AWA experiences in high school predicted lower RI private regard for Black males and lower RI public regard for Black females during the first year of college. Implications and policy recommendations to address forms of cultural oppression such as the AWA are further discussed.