Predictors of Racial Socialization among Black Families: Neighborhood Factors, Racial Discrimination, and Depressive Symptoms

Racial socialization is a common parenting strategy among Black American caregivers in which they transmit messages about Black American heritage, preparation for discrimination, self- esteem, and connectedness with other racial-ethnic groups. Racial socialization messages foster the development of an understanding of race in Black youth. Racial socialization has been linked to positive outcomes among Black youth, including higher self-esteem and improved mental health outcomes. However, less is known about factors that predict Black caregivers’ use of different racial socialization strategies. To better understand variability in racial socialization messages among Black families, this study examined neighborhood disorder and social cohesion, parents’ and their children’s experiences of racial discrimination, and parents’ depressive symptoms as predictors of caregivers’ transmission of messages of cultural socialization, racial barriers, and preparation for bias using data from a sample of Black families living in the rural Southern U.S. Results revealed several direct and indirect effects and suggest that it is important to further consider linkages between parents’ experience of contextual stressors, their mental health, and their racial socialization practice. We examined linkages between neighborhood factors, experiences of racial discrimination, depressive symptoms, and racial socialization among Black families. For Black fathers, contextual stressors might indirectly impact cultural socialization messages through affecting psychological functioning. Interventions that support Black families may bolster the resilience of Black parents and youth.