Nevertheless, we resist: Exploring the joint occurrence of critical agency and critical action classes among Black adolescents

Abstract

Youth's beliefs in their ability to impact racially oppressive systems (i.e., critical agency) are important for understanding the actions they engage in (i.e., critical action), but findings examining this relationship have been mixed. The current study utilized latent class analysis to examine the nuances in youth's critical agency and critical action behaviors and how these patterns co‐occur. Participants were 522 Black adolescents from across the United States. Unique classes of critical agency (Disempowered Competence, Gaining Confidence, and Agentic) and critical action (High Interpersonal Low Communal, High, Moderate, and Low) emerged. Results demonstrate that youth engage in critical action behaviors regardless of their perceived levels of agency, with the majority of youth belonging to the Moderate Action or High Action classes. Further, girls were more likely to be in the High Action class while boys were more likely to be in the Low Action class. Findings highlight that youth may engage in actions to resist racism regardless of how prepared they feel to do so or the amount of power they perceive having. Implications for supporting Black adolescent critical consciousness development within the context of well‐being are discussed.