This Woman’s Worth: A Narrative Study on the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on the Voices of Black women and Black girls

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Centering Marginalized Narratives in Music Education

Abstract

One in four Black girls experience child sexual abuse during their lifetime (Stone, 2004); systemic inequities such as poverty, community violence, and historical stigmatization further heighten their vulnerability (Brown, Kwakye, 2012). Consequently, Black women teachers and their Black girl students often cross paths in school hallways as survivors of CSA; yet these spaces remain silent about their shared trauma. Although Black women vocal educators will likely encounter a student who has a history of CSA within their choral and vocal studios, there is limited literature exploring these experiences. This study centers the expertise and narratives of Black women as vocal educators and survivors of CSA to discuss its impact on the singing voice, while capturing their stories of Black girlhood.

Author

• Ashira Mothersil, Teacher's College, Columbia University