My Kind of America: Black Girls (Re)Imagining Citizenship and Justice in the United States

• In Event: Black Liberatory Futures: Composing the Self and New Worlds

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the critical perspectives and imaginative visions of six preadolescent Black girls regarding American society. Employing Black girl literacies (Muhammad & Haddix, 2016) and Black Girl Cartography (Butler, 2018), this study examines their critiques of racial injustice, gender discrimination, and environmental neglect as they (re)conceptualize citizenship. This paper highlights how they redefine American citizenship, recognize global anti-Blackness, and envision a more just future. The findings emphasize the need for systemic changes beyond representation to address the root causes of oppression, advocating for a comprehensive reimagining of social structures. This work is not just an academic exercise; it is a call to action for all who believe in the (im)possibility of a nation worthy of Black girls.

Author

• Alexis Morgan Young, Michigan State University