Considering Boredom as Another Oppressive Force in the Lives of Incarcerated African American Male Youth

• In Event: The Roles of Identity, Belonging, and Relationships in Fostering Equitable Experiences in Diverse Learning Contexts

Abstract

For African American young men retrospectively discussing their educational experience in juvenile detention facilities, afflictive boredom in the instructional setting emerged as the foremost impediment to literacy and life gains. Conversely, intellectual sustenance—described most often by participants as the opportunity to discuss Black history and to create personal prose and poetry—emerged as a precursor to improved literacy and confidence.

Author

• Rabiah Khalil Abdullah