A Modern American Dilemma: How American Identity Shapes Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement

ABSTRACT

This article explores support for Black Lives Matter through the lens of intergroup conflict and solidarity—concepts at the core of Paula D. McClain’s research. We examine the extent to which expressions of “American identity” amplify support for or opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement. The merits of protest are perceived differently across racial groups in the United States, but theories of superordinate identity suggest attitudes could be unified through common expressions of a shared identity. Using 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey data (N=3,711; sum of Black and white respondents), we employ multivariate regression analysis to show that although Black and white respondents express similarly strong levels of a superordinate “American identity,” American identity moderates Black and white support for Black Lives Matter inconsistently—and at times in opposing directions. These findings provide additional context for understanding how American identity relates to support for protest activity, suggesting that American identity can assume distinct meanings for different groups of Americans.