A Black feminist youth participatory action research photovoice exploration of Black girls and college women

• Published in: American journal of community psychology 2023-09, Vol.72 (1-2), p.127-144
• Main Author: Payne, Ashley N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Action research; Activism; Adolescent development; black adolescents; Black people; black women; Children & youth; Conformity; Empowerment; Feminism; Girls; Hip hop culture; identity development; Participatory action research; Participatory research; photovoice; Popular culture; Racial identity; Tokenism; Women; Youth; YPAR
• ISSN: 0091-0562; 1573-2770
• DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12694

Utilizing a Black and Hip Hop feminist and Black girlhood studies theoretical lens, the purpose of this study is to explore how Black girls (14–17) and women (19–22), who are in a youth participatory action research (YPAR) mentoring program, BlackGirlsResearch (pseudonym) express their gendered racial identities and gendered racial experiences through their participation in a YPAR photovoice program. This study seeks to answer the following research question: (1) How do Black girls and college women conceptualize their gendered racial identities and gendered racial lived experiences in predominately white schools using a YPAR methodology and photovoice? Employing a qualitative thematic analysis to explore 36 photovoice narratives, results yielded 3 themes: (1) experiencing challenges at predominately white institutions (PWIs): false inclusivity, continued underrepresentation, and tokenism (2) identifying as “queens of culture”: identity and empowerment through art, culture, and breaking conformity and (3) activism, inclusion, and accountability: solutions for PWIs. The results of this study indicate that Black girls and women can not only identify and critically discuss issues related to Black girls and women within PWIs, but through YPAR, they can push for positive youth development and community solutions related to those issues. Highlights Results from this study illuminate how youth participatory action research (YPAR) can be utilized to empower Black girls and women. This study highlights how Black girls and women use YPAR spaces to hold predominately white institutions (PWIs) accountable for DEI. Results from this study highlight how photovoice is used to (re)present Black women's identities.