Centering the Black Girl Gaze (Poster 42)

• In Event: Sunday Poster Session 7:45 am
  In Poster Session: Adolescence and Youth Development SIG Poster Session

Abstract

Until recently, educational research has largely overlooked the plight of Black girls; oftentimes rooted in an anti-black either/or approach that forces us to choose between Black boys and Black girls. This oversight has contributed to a lack of targeted programming, discipline policies, and research reflecting the educational experiences of Black girls. This study examined their understanding of themselves and their relationships with their teachers through a reflective art exercise utilizing self-portraits and an interview. This study finds that in middle school classrooms, Black girls' inner selves are rendered invisible (i.e., Girls believed their teachers did not know or see their inner selves) or fully visible (i.e., Girls believed their teachers knew and saw their complete selves).

Author

• Darielle Blevins, Arizona State University