Leveraging Past Experiences to Imagine Futures: Black Young Men’s Mattering in a High School Partnership

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Remembering and Reimagining Black Communities and the Role of Black Education in the Pursuit of Educational Justice and Renewal

Abstract

Mattering refers to feeling important, relied upon, and valued, and although we know some of the co-occurring implications of a strong sense of mattering, little is known about how mattering influences perceptions of one’s future. Four Black young men in their senior year of high school were interviewed and participated in a focus group. Findings reveal a tri-directional influence of mattering on their plans for after high school, the impact of historical investment by educators in postsecondary success, and the ways in which a research school-university partnership can facilitate a sense of legacy among Black young men. We provide critical implications for educators and researchers to bolster a sense of mattering and the imagined futures of Black young men.

Authors

• Lauren M Strickland, University of Delaware

• Roderick L. Carey, University of Delaware

• Sofina Shekhar, University of Delaware