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Abstract
This dissertation examines how critical consciousness emerges and is sustained within anti-racist social movement organizations, specifically exploring the Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America Northwest Georgia Branch. Using systematic thematic analysis through interviews with ten members, the study identifies conditions that foster critical consciousness development: catalytic experiences that create cognitive dissonance, supportive environments for processing contradictions, opportunities to challenge internalized capitalist beliefs, relational organizing practices, and identity integration in systemic critique. The research reveals how participants translate critical analysis into transformative action through local engagement and coalition-building, while identifying barriers including geographic inaccessibility and organizational contradictions. The findings suggest that effective consciousness-raising requires alignment between organizational practices and stated values, relational pedagogy centered on members' experiences, and multiple pathways for engagement that honor diverse motivations and identity-based perspectives.