To the Center: A Conversation about Research on Black Women and Girls in Developmental Science

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

Black women and girls share a unique individual and collective experience shaped by the intersection of their racial and gender identities often resulting in encounters of gendered racism, disproportionate school discipline, and inequitable access to resources (Velez & Spencer, 2018; Burnett et al., 2022; Gadson and Lewis, 2022). American history and the persistence of segregated, gendered school environments inform harmful academic and behavioral expectations, biased cultural norms with Black families, and learning environments rooted in either hyper-invisibility or hyper-visibility for many Black girls (Evans-Winters et al., 2018; Leath et al., 2019; Posey-Maddox, 2017). Developmental scholars have sought to extend theory and empirical investigations by moving beyond deficit-based narratives of Black youth and instead focusing on scholarship that accurately captures their lived experiences as well as how youth process and successfully navigate these realities across the lifespan (Caughy et al., 2002; James et al., 2018; Jones & Neblett, 2017; Spencer, et al., 2011). Our collective push to center the strengths, various lived experiences, and range of outcomes for Black girls and women must be grounded in frameworks that value the fullness of their existence and challenge oppressive systems upheld by racism and misogyny. With a look toward the past and present work of SRCD Black Caucus leaders, this roundtable will facilitate a conversation on the various theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of Black women and girls by discussing the current research on Black women and girls in education. Additionally, we will provide critical recommendations for the future of developmental science.

Sub Unit

• Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Moderator

• Lauren Mims, New York University

Panelists

• Alexandria Onuoha, Suffolk University

• Laren Morton

• Amber B. Sansbury, George Mason University

• Marketa Burnett, University of Connecticut