Our Bodies Remember: Educational Trauma and the Weathering of Black Girls

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 7:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Educational Trauma and Health Equity: Building Bridges Between Public Health and Education

Abstract

Objectives: This presentation investigates how systemic racism, institutional neglect, and educational trauma impact the physical and emotional well-being of Black adolescent girls attending urban public schools. The study aims to explore the link between school-based stressors and allostatic load—the physiological consequence of chronic exposure to adversity—and to document culturally rooted healing practices that support student resilience. It seeks to amplify the voices of Black girls in identifying school as both a site of harm and a potential place of healing.
Theoretical Framework: This study is grounded in Black feminist thought (Collins, 2000), critical race theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995), and the weathering hypothesis (Geronimus, 1992), which together frame the lived experiences of Black girls in education as racialized, gendered, and embodied. The concept of allostatic load (McEwen, 1998) is used as a public health framework to analyze how prolonged exposure to racialized stress in educational settings contributes to wear and tear on the body over time.
Methods: The research utilized a qualitative, community-based participatory design that incorporated narrative interviews, journaling prompts, and arts-based methods including body mapping, affirmation exercises, and creative storytelling. These modalities were selected to center youth voice, emotional safety, and embodied forms of expression. Thematic analysis was conducted using a culturally responsive, trauma-informed lens.
Data Sources: Data were drawn from 18 Black girls ages 13–18 enrolled in public middle and high schools across South Los Angeles. Participants were recruited through youth organizations and school counselors. Data sources included audio-recorded interviews, reflective journals, visual art pieces, and focus group transcripts. Ethical approval was obtained through an IRB process that emphasized youth assent, parental consent, and trauma-informed research protocols.
Results: Findings highlight that participants experience schools as emotionally and physically taxing environments, often characterized by microaggressions, hyper-surveillance, and academic tracking. Common symptoms included sleep disturbances, chronic fatigue, somatic pain, and anxiety—all indicative of heightened allostatic load. Despite these conditions, participants developed healing strategies rooted in cultural identity and collective care: guided affirmations, mirror work, peer storytelling, and movement-based practices like dance were frequently cited as essential to their emotional survival. Many also noted the importance of trusted adults and safe spaces that affirmed their identities and countered systemic neglect.
Scholarly Significance of the Work: This study bridges public health and education by documenting how systemic educational trauma produces health disparities among Black girls. It contributes to the literature by centering Black girlhood as a critical analytic category in both fields and offering evidence for how embodied, culturally sustaining interventions can promote wellness in hostile school environments. The findings underscore the urgency of transforming schools into spaces that prioritize relational care, community-defined wellness, and racial healing. By reframing educational trauma as a public health issue, this work lays the groundwork for interdisciplinary policy and practice innovations.

Author

• Sonya Brooks, University of California - Los Angeles