Naming Our Truths: The Diasporic Tellings of Black African Youth From Refugee Backgrounds

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Writing the Landscape: Stories of Place and Identity in Diverse Narratives (Table 19)

Abstract

In this one-year case study, Black African refugee-background youth from a community-based organization, Refugee Hope Partners, participated in a writing project that resulted in a student-authored publication. We examined the data of twelve Black African refugee-background students, ages 14 to 23, from seven different countries. Grounded in a critical Ubuntu literacy framework, we ask: “How do Black African youth from refugee backgrounds write about and express their diasporic histories and lived realities to name the truths about themselves and their refugee community?” Through a thematic analysis, we found the renegotiation of individuality and collective identity was fostered through a) collective resistance to challenge assumptions; b) individuality within collective community; and c) collective identity that transcended borders.

Authors

• Crystal Chen Lee, North Carolina State University

• Jennifer C. Mann, Duke University