Social identity is a central concept in understanding how race and racism are internalized, the relationship of individual and group identities, and for understanding how identities influence organizations, communities, nations and are an essential part of the clinical process. This chapter reviews and critiques theories of identity, social identity, and racial and ethnic identity. We then present our model of multidimensional identity development, which is not linear and does not place value or judgment on how people resolve and integrate their identities. We consider the specific dynamics and challenges for multiracial people. We conclude the chapter with a description of how identity shapes intergroup dynamics and consider the implications of this when working towards racial justice.

This chapter outlines some of the main reasons people with White privilege have difficulty recognizing racism. It describes the systems that exist that help perpetuate and maintain race privilege and defensiveness. It highlights the unconscious workings of the socialization process which remain invisible to most individuals with privilege. The chapter also explains the role critical consciousness plays in discovering the range of misinformation and lack of information imposed during the socialization process and how it can lead to recognizing larger structural forces that collude with White domination and create a path toward advocating for racial justice.

In this chapter, the web of resistance is presented as a tool that can be used to understand the several interlocking elements of resistance and activism when seeking racial justice. It explains the core principles that can be recognized and encouraged in the internal and external realms of advocates for racial justice. It offers various examples of activism and advocacy as well as emphasizing the importance of collaboration and self-care.

This chapter highlights the important role dialogue plays in the fight for racial justice. It outlines the essential elements of dialogue and presents several models that can be used by educators and community leaders. It also describes how race must be taken into consideration when conducting racial dialogues and offers suggestions on how this can be done. Finally, it describes how dialogue not only increases participants’ awareness of racial justice and advocacy but builds inter/intraracial relationships.