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Abstract This study investigates the racial-mathematical identity profiles of Black American adolescents. Survey data were collected in five schools across one U.S. urban school district at two time points (spring 2018 [n = 197] and spring 2019 [n = 210]). Based on extant research regarding psychological response patterns to racialized school stress, we investigated the existence of an identity negotiation pattern in which students were motivated to resist negative stereotypes about Black people by achieving well in mathematics. We conducted a latent profile analysis combining students’ self-beliefs across five indicators: racial centrality, racial public regard, mathematics attainment value, mathematics mastery experiences, and resistance motivation. Three distinct racial-mathematical identity profiles emerged: (1) Mathematics Devalued/Ambivalent, (2) Moderately Math Attained, and (3) Resistors. We found associations between profile membership and students’ gender, negative math emotions, and their receipt of cultural and critical mathematics instruction. We also found an association between the identity profiles and school type (academically selective “magnet” schools vs. open-enrollment neighborhood schools), but not in the direction that might be assumed. Moreover, we found that certain school environment factors (i.e., racial stereotyping and cultural and critical mathematics instruction) were significantly different in racially diverse magnet schools than in the neighborhood schools. Overall, our data reveal the existence of a highly motivated Resistor profile among Black students, that is predicted by cultural and critical mathematics instruction but underrepresented within this district’s selective magnet schools. 

The authors take first steps in racializing Eccles and Wigfield’s situated expectancy value theory (SEVT). SEVT was initially developed to explain gender differences in motivation for and choice of STEM majors and careers but has been mostly silent on issues of race and racism in motivation research. Thus, the authors focus on Black American adolescents’ school experiences and reconceptualize three parts of the model: SEVT’s conceptualization of the cultural milieu, its portrayal of the socialization of motivation in school and at home, and aspects of individuals’ subjective task values, one of the key constructs in the model. To “break down silos” we connect SEVT to Critical Race Theory (CRT) by suggesting the cultural milieu “box” in the model be reimagined to include the impact of systemic racism and discrimination, power differentials, school segregation, and inequities in teacher quality and transience. Regarding racial socialization patterns within schools, we propose the notion of stage-culture-environment misfit, and evaluate teachers’ beliefs, biases, and cultural (in)competence. We also connect SEVT to empirical research on racial-ethnic socialization, specifically how the parents of Black children prepare them for discriminatory experiences and foster healthy racial identities. Turning to individuals’ subjective task values, we suggest expanding the cost aspect of task value to include racialized opportunity cost. We also extend intrinsic and attainment aspects of task value through integrating the emergent literature on Black joy. We conclude by suggesting critical pragmaticism as a possible broad framework in which motivation researchers from different perspectives can work together.