According to the phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST; Spencer, 1997), school racial climate is an environmental factor that can impact the lives of Black youth and adolescents in a multitude of ways, including their academic self-concept. One’s racial identity has been mostly viewed as a positive, protective factor. Still, it has influenced a range of outcomes in school-aged youth, such as one’s perceptions of stress, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being in both positive and negative ways (Chavous et al., 2003; Seaton et al., 2019, Sellers et al., 2006). Through a mixed-method, explanatory sequential design, correlation- and regression analyses were utilized cross-sectionally to examine the mediating role of racial identity on the relationship between school racial climate and academic self-concept. One hundred and one high school- and college students reflected on their high school experience across the United States (e.g., Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, etc.). Racial identity (e.g., private regard, public regard, centrality) was not found to mediate the relationship between school racial climate and academic self-concept. However, statistically significant relationships were found between school racial climate and academic self-concept, as well as between the racial identity subscale, public regard, and school racial climate. A total of nine students with varying school racial climate perspectives were interviewed to provide a comprehensive understanding of Black youth’s perspectives on their racial identity, school racial climate, and academic self-concept. Implications of the study inform schools on how to promote racial identity within the school environment via an equity, fairness, and diversity lens.
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