Research suggests links between racial discrimination and a range of adverse outcomes, including psychological and physical health. Less is known about individuals' perceived stress related to discriminatory events and their self-concept (self-esteem and self-efficacy), particularly in emerging adulthood. A sample of 435 African American college students from a large ethnically diverse university participated in a study investigating the relationship between racial discrimination stress and self-concept and the role that ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) plays in buffering the association. Results indicated that racial discrimination stress did not predict self-concept and did not interact with ERS messages. Racial pride messages were associated with higher self-esteem and self-efficacy. This study emphasizes the importance of racial pride messages in supporting normative development for African American emerging adults. Further consideration of the measurement of racial discrimination stress and frequency are discussed. The implications of the findings for clinical practice and research are discussed.