Definition
The process of identifying oneself with a racial group (or groups) to derive social value, intergroup distinctiveness, intragroup connectedness, and reference for normative thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
Introduction
Rachel Dolezal, an American civil rights activist, Africana studies instructor, and president of the Spokane (Washington) chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was revealed as White on June 15, 2015. Dolezal’s White parents publicly stated that Dolezal was their biological – and White – daughter. Many were outraged, alleging that Dolezal, who had presented herself as Black, lied about her racial identity. In defense, Dolezal maintained that although not based on ancestry, she identified as Black (Johnson et al. 2015). Her response sparked a public debate about the meaning of racial identity, demonstrating that racial identity is an...
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MacInnis, C., Hodson, G. (2020). Racial Identity. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_1151
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