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In this study, we examined the internal consistency and structural validity of scores on an expanded version of the Cross Racial Identity Scale (CRIS) consisting of the original six subscales—Assimilation, Miseducation, Self-Hatred, Anti-White, Afrocentricity, and Multiculturalist Inclusive—and a seventh subscale called Race Salience. Participants consisted of two samples of African Americans. Sample 1 had 324 participants, most of whom were students at historically Black institutions, and Sample 2 had 340 students attending a predominantly White institution. CRIS subscale scores, including Race Salience were internally consistent in Sample 1, and an exploratory factor analysis supported the structural validity of the race salience score. A confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the seven-factor structure. Internal consistency and structural validity results were replicated in Sample 2. Future studies should examine other aspects of construct validity on this expanded version of the CRIS, such as convergent and discriminant validity, and the impact of seven subscales on the number and type of racial identity profiles that CRIS scores can yield.

Identity is one of the most important constructs in psychology, speaking to who we are, what groups we belong to, how we perceive ourselves, and how we are perceived by others. William E. Cross, Jr., has spent the past 50 years theorizing about Black identity. He has contributed to our understanding of what Black identity is and how it functions in daily life. Beginning with the publication of his initial nigrescence model in 1971 and the revisions in 1991 and 2001, Cross' model evolved from a developmental stage model to a multidimensional attitudinal model. In this article, we review the evolution of Cross' nigrescence models, showcasing the elegant interplay of theory and empirical research in his work. We also describe his contributions to the measurement of racial identity, as Cross' theory provides the theoretical foundation for two widely used measures of racial identity, the Racial Identity Attitude Scale and the Cross Racial Identity Scale. In the final section of the article, we review Cross' contributions that have changed the conceptualization of racial identity in the field and provided answers to several key questions. Is racial identity a developmental construct? What are the practical implications of a multidimensional model of racial identity? Does having assimilationist attitudes signal low self-esteem? How do assimilationist and multiculturalist attitudes differ? And why are deficit views of Black identity wrong? And we highlight Cross' contention that positive Black identities can and did flourish in the most difficult of life circumstances.