Unforgetting Histories: Black Immigrant Youth and Narratives of Identity Reconstruction

• In Event: Preserving Spirit and Self: Narratives of Black Educational Renewal

Abstract

In this design-based study, 17 Black immigrant youth (BIY) from West Africa engaged in a three-week podcasting program where they interrogated and responded to dominant discourses about their identities. The study explored the nature of the narratives that participants authored during the program. Findings revealed that BIY authored narratives of identity reconstruction that re-centered their pre-immigration experiences. Participants’ narratives also advocated for a critical transformation of how Black diasporic and personal history and experiences are represented in curricula and pedagogy in the U.S. education system.

Author

• Neisha Terry Young, Stony Brook University - SUNY