The Role of Ethgender Identity in the Relationship between Gendered Racism and Activism among Black Women

Black women face a unique intersectional form of discrimination, termed gendered racism (Essed, 1991). The purpose of this study was to determine whether experiences with gendered racism predict activism among Black women and to explore the roles of emotions and identity in this relationship. An online, national sample of 112 Black women provided self-reports of frequency of experiences with overt and covert forms of gendered racism and associated emotional responses, ethgender identity centrality, and activism. Results revealed that experiences with covert gendered racism predicted activism. Emotional responses to gendered racism were not found to predict activism. Ethgender identity was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between gendered racism and activism. Study limitations along with practical implications and directions for future research are discussed