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By Abigail Amoako Kayser, Annalee Jackson, and Brian Kayser

Despite having many identified strengths, adolescent Black girls in the U.S. have historically fared poorly (Crenshaw, Ocen, & Nanda, 2015). Research indicates that, compared to their Latina and White counterparts, adolescent Black girls carry a higher risk for suffering poor physical and mental health, enduring violence, and dealing with other factors associated with living in poverty (Eccles & Gootman,2002).

In schools, many teachers perceive Black girls as loud, aggressive, and uncultured; they may see the need to silence and tame these girls (Fordham, 1993; Grant, 1984). Because of these perceptions, Black girls often are subject to more and harsher disciplinary actions, such as suspensions and expulsions, than White girls. These actions in turn are associated with greater involvement in the juvenile justice system, where, again, young Black women often receive more severe sentences (Crenshaw et al., 2015).

Researchers have noted that participation in organized activities such as mentoring and afterschool programs can support positive development in adolescents (Archard, 2011, 2013; Eccles & Gootman, 2002). For example, Spencer and Liang (2009) found that adolescents' cognitive, emotional, and social growth improve with participation in mentoring programs. In the U.S. in 2011, more than 5,000 such programs served over 3 million youth (DuBois, Portillo, Rhodes, Silverthorn, & Valentine, 2011).

Both mentoring programs and research on how they create successful outcomes for adolescents are abundant. However, little is known about the processes that foster positive development specifically in adolescent Black girls from low-income backgrounds (Kirshner & Ginwright, 2012). Scholars (Larson & Ngo, 2017; Simpkins, Riggs, Ngo, Ettekal, & Okamoto, 2017) have called for investigation into how the cultural assets of adolescents of color contribute to their positive development and into the ways in which race, ethnicity, and culture influence this development.

Our research responds to this call by examining mentoring programs situated in a community that has an abundance of programs for adolescent Black girls. We conducted in-depth interviews with adolescent Black girls, parents, program leaders and staff, and mentors to learn-from the people most deeply involved-what Black girls need to succeed. Three themes emerged from these interviews: that programs for adolescent Black girls need to involve families, that the girls themselves need advocates who will teach them to advocate for themselves, and that mentors should share the girls' racial identity.

Positive Youth Development and Adolescent Black Girls
The positive youth development approach (Lerner et al., 2005; Lerner, Dowling, & Anderson, 2003) operates under the assumption that, given the right opportunities, adolescents can succeed, no matter their background.

Researchers have listed various characteristics that lead to positive youth development. Our research was particularly informed by the concept of agency as a factor in the development of adolescent Black girls. Larson (2000) describes agency as the freedom to set goals and to take steps to achieve those goals. He notes that, in order to accomplish their goals, adolescents need to develop competencies. Eccles and Gootman (2002) speak of a related concept, autonomy, which young people develop through "enabling, responsibility granting, and meaningful challenge" (p. 90). The authors posit that, rather than being "something adults do to young people," positive youth development is "something that young people do for themselves" with help from the adults in their lives (p. 103). Connecting autonomy with agency, Eccles and Gootman note that young people are "agents of their own development" (p. 103).

Our research highlights the need for out-of-school time mentoring programs to help adolescent Black girls develop agency. The ability to self-advocate is a vital skill that can empower adolescent Black girls to understand themselves and their needs and to seek out people and resources that can help them meet those needs. Jones (2015) noted that Black girls have the potential to overcome the challenges they face if they have "fewer spokes-people and more servant-leaders [or advocates], those who model leadership and rise above by working in the trenches" (p. 279).

This understanding aligns with the asset-based concept of youth organizing, which suggests that youth of color from marginalized communities can be empowered to identify problems in their communities and take steps to address them (Ginwright, 2010). In addition to developing agency in youth, Eccles and Gootman (2002) suggest that community programs must work to integrate the various aspects of adolescents' lives and to foster meaningful conversations among the people who care about them. They call for a constant flow of conversations among families, schools, and communities on how the needs of adolescents are or are not being met (Eccles & Gootman, 2002).

Researchers including Simpkins and colleagues (2017) have pointed out that positive youth development in afterschool depends on programming that is responsive to the developing ethnic, racial, and cultural practices of the adolescents they serve. Larson and Ngo (2017) add that a culturally responsive approach gives voice to adolescents and their families by creating opportunities to respond to issues that affect them. This finding is consistent with research showing that youth voice is a significant asset in youth development (Mitra, 2004; Serido, Borden, & Perkins, 2011). Sanders and colleagues point out that providing opportunities for youth from vulnerable communities to develop agency is key to their development (Sanders, Munford, Thimasarn-Anwar, Liebenberg, & Ungar, 2015).

Our research asked stakeholders "on the ground," especially adolescent Black girls themselves, about ways in which agency and autonomy, family involvement, cultural responsiveness, and youth voice were embodied in their afterschool mentoring programs.

Methods
Our study focused on how stakeholders, including the girls themselves, perceived the needs of adolescent Black girls in afterschool mentoring programs. We also examined the ways in which families, schools, and community members were collaborating to foster the positive development of these girls. We chose a qualitative research method because qualitative methods are appropriate when researchers seek to understand the processes that participants experience in a specific context (Maxwell, 2005). We sought the accounts of many stakeholders, including adolescent Black girls, program leaders, parents, and mentors, in order to correlate results.

With qualitative methods, researcher bias is always a possibility, particularly when, as in the case of our research, one of the researchers was a mentor in one of the programs being investigated. We were aware of this potential in our data collection and analysis, so, to begin with, the researcher who was a mentor did not interview participants from that program. Also, to ensure that our biases did not affect our data analysis, we employed a peer debriefer (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), who provided feedback and ensured that interpretation of the data was done in a highly self-reflective manner.

Participants
We collected data during the 2016-2017 school year from a convenience sample of 26 people who were involved in one way or another with community or school-based mentorship or afterschool programs in a college town in the southeastern U.S. To recruit participants, we posted flyers in the program offices; individuals who responded to the flyers were selected for this study. The sample included 16 adolescent Black girls, ranging in age from 12 to 18, who participated in one or more of the programs. We had 10 adult participants, four males and six females; six were Black and four were White. Seven of the adults were program leaders or staff. Two of these were also mothers of three of the adolescents interviewed. Three adults were mentors who were students in the local university, two White males and one White female.

Data Collection and Analysis
We conducted semi-structured individual and focus group interviews with the 26 informants to learn about the perceived needs of Black girls in the mentoring programs. Before beginning data collection, we obtained assent from all participants and parental consent for adolescent participants. Semi-structured interviews of adult respondents, which lasted 20 to 50 minutes, were conducted in locations of the interviewees' choice or by phone. Four adolescent focus group interviews, conducted at a neighborhood community center with a mentoring program, lasted about 50 minutes each. We developed interview protocols based on the literature; the protocols were open-ended so that we could ask follow-up questions based on participants' responses. All interviews were recorded and later transcribed for data analysis.

Interview and focus group transcriptions were uploaded into NVivo software, which facilitates qualitative data analysis. Using Erickson's (1986) method of analytic induction, two researchers independently read the interview transcripts, noted emerging themes, and selected excerpts that corresponded to the emerging themes. The researchers then reread the selected excerpts and reviewed the emerging themes together to clarify and resolve any discrepancies in the excerpts selected. Once emerging themes were identified, the researchers developed working assertions as answers to our research questions. After forming assertions, the two researchers sought evidence from the data to either confirm or question each assertion. Assertions that did not have ample evidence were excluded from the findings.
Findings on the Needs of Adolescent Black Girls
In interviews and focus groups, respondents identified three main needs:
1. Programs need to develop partnerships with parents and families.

2. Adolescent Black girls need adults who will both advocate for them and teach them how to advocate for themselves.

3. Adolescent Black girls need mentors who share their racial identity.

Need for Family Partnerships
One characteristic of programs that foster positive youth development is communication among families, schools, and communities (Eccles & Gootman, 2002). When parents and caregivers are included in conversations about the development of their adolescent children, they can accurately identify issues that affect those children (Larson & Ngo, 2017).

Our study did not find evidence of such communication and integration among the local programs that worked with adolescent Black girls. However, five of the program leaders and staff wanted to see more parental participation. For example, one program leader said:

There have been efforts to involve more of the parent perspective, but I think there is more room for that. I don't know what that would look like exactly, but I think that is probably a space where there is more work that could be done.

This leader was saying that the program had attempted to engage parents, though he did not specify what the program would have expected of them. Another program leader, who was also the mother of two program participants, shared her perspectives on how parents could be encouraged to participate in the program:

You almost have to look at it like, "I'm not only going to educate the young person about this program and opportunity but also make a commitment and a need to work on the buy-in from the parent's end." Because what we're talking about are creating opportunities to improve our quality of life for the future, and the parents have to be a part of that process-and we can't leave them out of the equation.

Eccles and Gootman (2002) point out that organized programs for adolescents must not only integrate families, schools, and community but also be culturally responsive. In many of these programs, family involvement could be one way to promote cultural responsiveness, particularly in light of the fact that the college mentors had different lived experiences from those of the adolescent Black girls with whom they worked.

Need for Advocacy
Proponents of the theory of positive youth development suggest that adolescents must have opportunities to develop agency in decisions about their lives (Eccles & Gootman, 2002; Larson, 2000). One way this characteristic can manifest in afterschool programming is by enabling youth to use their voice as a strength in their development (Mitra, 2004; Serido et al., 2011). In our data, 11 adolescent girls and four program staff spoke about the need for advocacy in afterschool programs that support youth development. One adolescent participant described an advocate as "someone who speaks up for other people and goes to the meetings and does the research just to make sure we are exposed to things ... like a middle person trying to get the resources for us."

Similarly, a leader of a college readiness program defined advocacy as:

Working with young people ... to increase opportunities for exposure and accessibility-accessibility to the arts, for example-to help them with understanding relevance as it relates to literature in the classroom [and] exposure to a college campus so they can make more realistic decisions about their future.

This respondent, while emphasizing that young people need to be aware of available opportunities, also noted that they need to use that knowledge to make informed decisions about their own lives.

In addition to wanting to expose youth to opportunities, the two respondents who were both parents and program leaders expressed the need for adolescent Black girls to advocate for themselves. In an interview, one of them said: "We as a people, whether you're a Black woman or a Black male, if we don't learn in 2016 how to advocate for ourselves going forward, we're done. We're toast."

Many participants used the words advocacy and mentoring in their discussion of the perceived needs of adolescent Black girls. One Black program leader distinguished advocacy from mentoring by explaining how she engaged in both: "I have to advocate for them within their school divisions, but I have to mentor them when they're here to teach them how to advocate for themselves if I'm not there."

This idea of supporting Black girls but also teaching them to advocate for themselves was a common thread among both adult interviewees and adolescents. For example, two ninth-grade students said that they needed opportunities to advocate for themselves. One student said, "It's like I want to do more, and I need to have the tools to do it. I just need to connect with the right people for what I want to do." The second student went on to articulate the specific kinds of support she and her peers needed: "It needs to be advocacy, and we need to be advocates for ourselves, health, our education, to be leaders.... We have got to learn how to advocate for ourselves."

These respondents saw advocacy as a path to helping adolescent girls develop agency. Respondents may have seen agency in afterschool programming as a way to elevate the adolescents' voices, so that they could be heard by the people in their communities who sought to support them in their development. Also, the girls could share the aspects of their lives that were important to them, thus providing insights that could help the adults who worked with them to be more culturally responsive to their experiences.

Need for Mentors of the Same Race
Deutsch, Lawrence, and Henneberger (2014) noted a mismatch between mentors and their protégés in terms of their racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds. Liang and Grossman (2007) showed that, when mentors come from the same marginalized groups as their protégés, a stronger relationship can develop.

In our study, all three White mentors and 12 of the Black adolescent girls indicated that mentors should share their mentees' racial identity. One of the White college mentors stated:

Most of the [college students] are White, and there are a lot more males [as mentors] than females. But then when we go to the schools, most of the kids are minority, African American or Hispanic. It's a good mix when you put the two together, but when you separate them, everyone in the [mentoring program] is one thing, and everyone in the schools is another

This college mentor recognized the racial differences between the college students and the adolescents with whom they worked. Through he did not explicitly reflect on the differences in the two groups' experiences, he seemed to perceive the difference as an area that should be addressed. Another White male college mentor noted the need for adolescents to have mentors who share their racial identity: "We are definitely missing the perspective, maybe, specifically, of young women of color. Maybe these young [students] that I'm hanging out with would benefit more from having someone there who's an African American as opposed to a White male."

The adolescent Black girls agreed with these college mentors, indicating that they preferred mentors whose racial identity and cultural experiences were like their own. One student expressed her preference for Black mentors, with whom she and other Black girls shared similar life experiences:

I just feel like [the African American mentoring group] is very relatable. It's very nice to have somebody that's going through something that you're going to be going through in the future and tell you about the situation they're having. We relate. Their experience might be very similar to my experience, so it's good to have that.
Implications for Programs
Our findings suggest a need for adults to support the development of adolescent Black girls both by advocating for them and by preparing them to advocate for themselves. The program leaders and staff, mentors, and girls all indicated a need for adolescent Black girls to work with mentors who share their racial and ethnic background. Albright, Hurd, and Hussain (2017) suggest that one way to ensure that mentors reflect the race of their mentees is for programs to apply a social justice lens. This approach examines not only the power dynamics inherent in mentor-mentee relations but also the backgrounds and experiences of mentors and their mentees (Albright et al., 2017). Other researchers have similarly suggested that program leaders who work with adolescents and families from marginalized communities must take a culturally responsive lens to their work (Larson & Ngo, 2017; Simpkins et al., 2016).

One approach to cultural responsiveness is more of the kind of work we did: listening to the perspectives of adolescents and their parents. Once we have listened, then we can incorporate the visions of adolescent Black girls and their families into afterschool programming. Families bring cultural understandings and assets that outside groups cannot provide. These perspectives are vitally important to the positive development of adolescent Black girls. Future research should collect more perspectives from adolescent Black girls, their families, and their communities, exploring what programs look like when young people and their families are given a seat at the table.
For references, see PDF
Tags: Engagement, Youth Development, Gender, Special Population, Outcomes, Social Emotional, Mentoring

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national institute on out-of-school time

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Afterschool Matters | National Institute on Out-of-School Time

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By Abigail Amoako Kayser, Annalee Jackson, and Brian Kayser Despite having many identified strengths, adolescent Black girls in the U.S. have historically fared poorly (Crenshaw, Ocen, & Nanda, 2015). Research indicates that, compared to their Latina and White counterparts, adolescent Black girls carry a higher risk for suffering poor physical and mental health, enduring violence, and dealing with other factors associated with living in poverty (Eccles & Gootman,2002).

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About Us

Fulshear is a treatment to transition program for women in their late teens and early twenties (18-24). Our ranch serves as a necessary step for lasting independent living. Here you will build on your life skills by learning more ways to overcome the struggles that continue to inhibit you from having the life you want for yourself.

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Self Advocacy: A Critical Life Skill for Young Women | Fulshear Treatment to Transition

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Self Advocacy: A Critical Life Skill for Young Women For young adults in particular, self advocacy is a critical life skill that has emotional, vocational, and academic implications. In this blog InnerChange academic director, Kathrine Whittekiend, M.Ed., discusses this skill and the importance of the academic milieu for cultivating it.

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Directed to parents

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Previously, we've encouraged parents to promote youth self-advocacy when it comes to seeking support for their learning and development. In fact, the idea of self-advocacy, or speaking up for yourself and making decisions about your own life, is a common theme among parents and adolescents. As the old saying goes, "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, feed him for a lifetime." The same can be said for teenage growing pains. As parents, our first instinct is to protect our teens and fix the problems that they face. It's intuitive, and, in all fairness, we likely have more personal experience on which to base sound decisions. However, teens are in a constant state of identity development: they are figuring out who they are, what they believe in, and how to make important decisions. While it is important for parents to support and guide their teens, it is equally important to give teens the skills to make positive choices on their own, especially when they need to make decisions without a parent present.
What is self-advocacy?
Self-advocacy is working to get our needs met through a balance of respectfulness and assertiveness. It is a process that involves planning, information seeking, cooperation and taking responsibility.

Self-Advocacy is learning how to speak up for yourself, making your own decisions about your own life, learning how to get information so that you can understand things that are of interest to you, finding out who will support you in your journey, knowing your rights and responsibilities, problem solving, listening and learning, reaching out to others when you need help and friendship, and learning about self-determination. -Wrightslaw
Why is self-advocacy important?
People who are self-advocates are able to ask for the support they need, stand up against injustices, and seek positive change in their environments. Teens with self-advocacy skills may also have more positive identity development, higher self-esteem, greater social connections, more leadership qualities and enhanced planning and problem solving abilities. The teen years are prime ones for the development of the cognitive skills needed to be a self-advocate. And being able to practice and refine these skills will serve youth now and in the future.
How can parents support self-advocacy?
Decision making is hard. Despite pushing to be their own boss, making big decisions can still be a new and scary experience for teens. Teens might not have the right words to ask for what they need. They may doubt whether or not they know enough about the topic and they may feel disrespected or undervalued by the people or organizations to which they are advocating for their needs. Parents help teens become competent self-advocates by creating spaces where youth feel comfortable practicing their self-advocacy skills and knowledge. Adolescent's decision making need not happen in a vacuum. Parents who consistently build trust with their teen and share decision-making power will contribute to teens' experience with problem solving and the steps necessary to self-advocate effectively. Building these skills together with your teen involves a number of different steps:
Point it out
It is likely that your teen is already making choices and regularly advocating for themselves in small ways. Has your teen asked for explanations from a coach or teacher about something they didn't understand? Has your teen ask for more responsibility or a new freedom and explained why this was important to them? These are all simple, daily behaviors that represent self-advocacy. Point these instances out, commend your teen for being a self-advocate and be sure to label the skills you're seeing your teen use in their efforts.

Many youth are not familiar with the idea of self-advocacy, particularly because adults have been doing most of the work for them, most of their lives. By staying aware and labeling advocacy when it happens, you can begin to alert your teen to the concept and what it looks like in practice.

If you've ever tried to select a restaurant with a group of people, you'll probably agree that even simple decision-making can be difficult when shared. It is never too early to start sharing decision-making power with your teen but be mindful of your child's level of maturity and the decisions that are being made.

A fun way to share decision making is by letting your teen suggest where the next family vacation (or a family day trip) should be. Suggest that they come up with a persuasive argument for why they chose a particular destination, how it will work with other family member's interests and how they would plan to stay within a budget. Sharing "little" decisions gives teens practice with the skills they'll need to tackle the big stuff when it happens.

The foundation of self-advocacy rests on knowing your values and abilities. A teen who knows he struggles with a particular teaching style will be more likely to ask for support than one who doesn't recognize the mismatch in his learning style and the teacher's delivery methods. Similarly, a youth who has advocated for fairness and equality for others is likely to speak up if they feel they are being mistreated, in part because they are able to identify the mistreatment and have experience advocating for that need before.

Take opportunities to ask your teen about their beliefs and opinions on important issues. Use open-ended questions that will allow your teen to formulate their ideas and incorporate their experiences into their thoughts. Consider questions such as, "Why do you believe in ____ (education for girls, different teaching styles for different learners, higher wages for student workers, etc.)," or "What does taking responsibility in this situation look like?"

Advocating for a particular need requires an understanding of the problem so that you can effectively communicate to others why the need is important and relevant. For example, a youth with a learning disability who is not receiving the necessary learning tools in the classroom would benefit from knowing the rules and regulations surrounding special education services. In this way, a request for a particular need can be supported by information that is supportive of the goals.

Make goals and how to advocate to reach them a central topic of conversation. Ask your teen what they would like to accomplish and why they believe it is a worthwhile pursuit. What information do they have that supports their goals and efforts? Help them find information related to the advocacy topic of their interest.

Sometimes knowing the right things to say is not enough. Speaking up for yourself can be scary, especially if a teen is advocating to adults. Just like a muscle, advocacy needs to be exercised to grow and strengthen. Practicing advocating for an effort, goal, or need can help make the process more comfortable for teens. Offer to listen to your teen practice their pitch for something. If they want feedback, provide constructive insights into what they did well and how they can improve. Sometimes even saying the words out loud in a safe space makes it easier to say in more high-stress environments.

Ask youth for their opinions and allow them to participate in 'adult' conversations. Model for youth the language of needs by sharing with them your own when appropriate. For example, you can tell your teen, "I have a headache and it's making it hard to keep my cool. I need to take a walk outside until it subsides and then we can come back to this conversation." If teens fumble in their request for something, take it as an opportunity to reflect back to them what you see as their needs or ask clarifying questions to give them an opportunity to practice forming their ideas.

Being a self-advocate does not mean you must tackle every challenge on your own. While it is important for youth to have a voice in their own lives, part of using your voice is knowing when to ask for help. If there is a particular area in which your teen must self-advocate, encourage them to seek out others who might also have an invested interest in the advocacy effort. There is strength in numbers and especially if your teen is trying to create change (e.g., a school rule) it may serve them to have the support of others.

Ask your teen to make a list of who would support them in advocating for their cause. How would they put these individuals to work? (Do they want help crafting requests, finding out information, or just someone to listen and support them?) Connect youth with other adults who may serve as mentors or supports to their advocacy efforts.

Advocacy of any kind is challenging. Not only are a number of skills necessary to advocate effectively, but you must also believe that your voice is valued. By practicing self-advocacy with the support of parents and trusted adults, teens can gain confidence in using this important life skill and parents get to see teens take a first step toward living an independent, successful life.

Article by Dayana Kupisk

Dayana is a graduate student in Human Development & Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Dayana previously worked as a life skills coordinator at a residential living program for teens and young adults. She has one older brother, and, for the first time in her life, is living in a different state from her parents.

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Supporting Speaking Up: Helping Your Teen Self-Advocate

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Previously, we've encouraged parents to promote youth self-advocacy when it comes to seeking support for their learning and development. In fact, the idea of self-advocacy, or speaking up for yourself and making decisions about your own life, is a common theme among parents and adolescents.

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Proud Black teens do better in school - Futurity

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U. PITTSBURGH (US) — African American teenagers perform better academically when their parents instill in …

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There's a large body of research that explores how academic performance is tied to a student's racial identity, and the conclusions of experts are bleak: Students of color, generally speaking, face a serious achievement gap in schools. Addressing the myriad barriers to getting a proper education - factors like poverty, inadequate facilities, and the racial abuse that ultimately takes a toll on students' motivation, attendance, and ability to learn - will require necessary systemic and cultural change.

In the meantime, experts have been exploring the surprising link between how students about their racial identity and how that affects their academic performance. By implementing novel programs that, through a holistic approach, allow and encourage students to explore their racial/ethnic identities in a safe space, they've found that students end up feeling more engaged with their education. Racial self-esteem is not the most influential factor in a student's education - the racism of the system is - but institutions and schools can quickly implement these positive racial identity development programs to make immediate headway in closing the country's achievement gap.
Positive Racial Identity Through Short-Term Curriculums
Janine Jones, the director of the University of Washington's School Psychology Program, recently designed based around a cultural awareness group curriculum for a small group of middle school girls that allowed them to explore their racial-ethnic identities in six once-weekly meetings. Each week had a different theme - purpose, unity, respect, self-determination, cooperation and believing in oneself. The participants were free to having conversations around those topics in the context of their racial identities. By the end of the study curriculum, the participants were measurably more engaged with school and had higher ratings of their identity compared to a control group who had simply attended an informal girls' gathering.

Jones explained to the university paper that having a positive sense of ethnic identity is critical to academic engagement. "There are a lot of girls who check out in school when they feel like they're not seen, not understood or invested in by school personnel. There are a lot of negative perceptions of African-Americans, and the perception they receive is that it's not a good thing to be black." The curriculum she implemented for the study had an Afrocentric theme, but Jones added that this style of curriculum could be adapted for other racial and ethnic identities and that broader diversity programs would likely be beneficial for an entire student body. "It's about how hearing the humanness of the other person - encouraging people to develop relationships with people who don't look like them, makes all of us grow," she said.

Harvard researcher Adriana Umaña-Taylor developed a similar 8-week curriculum called the Identity Project that, in only an hour per week, supported its adolescent participants who represented a diverse mix of racial-ethnic identities. The program was designed to give adolescents " the agency to explore their backgrounds on their own" during a formative period of their self-identity. ( To be clear, the program does not focus on frameworks like ethnic/racial pride or biological ancestry.)

The outcome? Like Jones's study, participants had higher levels of self-esteem and better academic performance. The program also had the added benefit of reducing symptoms of depression and, of course, improving the teens' sense of racial-ethnic identity. Importantly, the positive effects of the Identity Project were measurable a year after the program's end. Implementing this style of programming in primary and secondary schools is critical to supporting our children's long-term academic success, but college students also stand to benefit from interventions that repair and develop their racial identity.

Race conscious programming works, in part, because the experience validates students' racial or ethnic identity. "The single most important thing is for teachers to not adopt a color-blind ideology, which essentially says that we're all the same, and we really shouldn't focus on the differences that exist between or among us," Umaña-Taylor explained in a statement . "The idea that we're more similar than we are different invalidates the real experiences that adolescents have, whether they're experiencing discrimination themselves or whether they're experiencing it vicariously by seeing it happen to somebody else."
Representation in the Classroom Helps Validate Racial Identity
This sense of validation can also come from having teachers who look like your child at the head of the classroom; similarly, simply having the presence of Latinx figures in these positions (as well as in school governance) can make it more likely for parents to get involved with their child's education, improving their academic performance. Beyond feeling seen, having teachers who are representative of the student body can reduce the chances that a student will have to endure racial abuse, discrepancies in treatment that ultimately can take a toll on academic success, motivation, as well as if and how a student gets disciplined.

A 2017 study that analyzed test results of students from six different public school districts across the U.S., comparing academic performance with whether a student had a teacher of the same racial identity. What the researchers found was a small but significant positive effect when black and white students were assigned teachers who shared their racial identity. Middle schoolers who matched the race and gender identity of their teacher were more likely to report thinking of going to college, while kids in elementary school were more likely to feel like they could better understand what they were learning.

This is the case for Latino students too. A study cited by Univision found that when Latino students had Latino teachers, they were more likely to take advanced classes and college admissions exams, and did better on standardized tests. Unfortunately, while Latinos make up a quarter of the US student body, only about of teachers in US public schools identify as Latino. As a whole, the national student body is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, but the diversity of teachers is not keeping pace with this growth.
Laying the Groundwork for Racial Identity From Home
Even if your kids don't have access to programs or mentors that will help them develop positive racial identity in their school years, there are some simple things that you can do from home to help expand kids' understanding of race and ethnicity in America. For young children, introduce them to the breadth of racial-ethnic identities by making sure their media reflects more than just the dominant i.e. white culture of society. Point out negative stereotypes that you see in this media and counteract these with accurate portrayals; simply questioning the stereotypes can go a long way.

NBC's Today suggests you get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations about race with older kids. School-aged kids should be taught that racism exists in terms that they can understand - e.g. what is fair as opposed to unfair -while teens may need you to step in and address racist ideas or words that they may be peddling on social media or among their friends. "All you have to say is that their words are not acceptable," an expert told the program. "Then, ask them where they heard it or what they think it means. It's OK to let them squirm a little.

Finally, you'll need to do your homework. A good place to start, regardless of your racial or ethnic identity, is Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's part-memoir, part-guide Most importantly, remind yourself that it's not possible to raise a "race-blind" child in today's America. The goal here is to raise race-conscious children who are able to be curious listeners and contributors in conversations about How to Be an Antiracist . In the book, Kendi documents his personal journey with developing a positive racial identity and illuminates the traps that many of us fall into when developing our own. race, giving them and the people around them space to develop positive racial identities.

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Here's Why Positive Racial Identity Affects Your Kids' at School

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There's a large body of research that explores how academic performance is tied to a student's racial identity, and the conclusions of experts are bleak: Students of color, generally speaking, face a serious achievement gap in schools.

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Education | News releases | Social science | UW and the community

For African-American students, data, alongside societal attitudes and stereotypes, often present a negative picture: a wide academic achievement gap separating them from their white peers. Higher rates of discipline and absenteeism. Discrimination by other students, teachers and the larger community. And just last summer, a study indicated that black girls, from an early age, are perceived as more aggressive and sexual - less innocent - than white girls.

But what if, a University of Washington education professor reasoned, black students were encouraged to explore and embrace their racial identity at school? Could cultivating a positive self-image, exclusively around race and ethnicity, make a lasting difference in student performance and confidence?

The answer, Janine Jones found, was promising. In a paper published this month in Psychology in the Schools, Jones describes her work last spring at a Seattle-area middle school where African-American girls participated in an after-school program designed to create community around and pride in black culture and identity. Those who did expressed greater confidence and reported, both on their own and through teachers, more connection to and involvement with school.

"There are a lot of girls who check out in school when they feel like they're not seen, not understood or invested in by school personnel. There are a lot of negative perceptions of African-Americans, and the perception they receive is that it's not a good thing to be black," said Jones, director of UW's School Psychology Program. "We may think it's easier to avoid it than to address it. But if we start addressing oppression by countering it with the humanness of who these kids are, we're more likely to keep them engaged and feeling a sense of belonging."

For this study, Jones adapted a cultural enrichment curriculum called Sisters of Nia (a Swahili term for "purpose") and, with the help of the principal at a Federal Way middle school, invited African-American girls to join an after-school program that met once a week for six weeks.

In Jones' abbreviated version, the cultural program focused on a new principle each week: purpose, unity, respect, self-determination, cooperation and believing in oneself. The girls participated in interactive lessons, discussing issues such as myths and stereotypes of African-American women, and recorded their thoughts in a journal. The program culminated in a Kwanzaa ceremony, which aimed to further bond the girls and symbolize their achievement, Jones said.

Meanwhile, a control group formed to focus on a mindfulness curriculum; at the end of the six weeks, the curriculum swapped, so that the cultural group then focused on mindfulness, and the control group received Sisters of Nia, for another six weeks.

The groups were small - half a dozen girls in each. But while the size appeared to encourage community-building in the Sisters of Nia group, Jones said, the control group never really got off the ground. Attendance was sparse, the mindfulness program appeared to hold little interest for the girls, and by the time the curriculum was scheduled to change, only two were attending at a time. The original Sisters of Nia group, on the other hand, took on the mindfulness activities and continued, on their own, to discuss the Nia principles and other ideas they had encountered.

Jones and her research team used student and teacher surveys to gauge the girls' self-concepts and ideas about racial identity, as well as their level of engagement in school - defined by multiple measures of their attendance, effort and attitude. The researchers found that, over the six weeks of the cultural enrichment program, school engagement among participants increased, whereas it decreased among students in the control group.

Sharper differences were noted in measures of racial and ethnic identity, which were even more pronounced six weeks after the conclusion of the Sisters of Nia program. Among those participants, their degree of identification as African-American and their positive feelings about other African-Americans increased significantly over time. The girls also expressed a higher affinity for a "humanist" racial ideology, a belief that they fit in with people of all races, that their racial heritage has value in society and that their race should not exclude them from being part of the larger community.

The fact that the girls reported these feelings long after the cultural program was over speaks to how strongly the ideas resonated with them, Jones said. There was no other direct connection to Sisters of Nia, she added, since the group leader was different for the mindfulness program, and none of the activities was related to the previous curriculum.

"They were relying solely on relationships with each other. It took time to marinate and become part of how they saw themselves," she said. "I would want a child to have higher self-esteem when we finish a program like that, but it's even better for it to continue to grow later on."

Jones believes the findings point to ways to build community and identity among young teens. While this curriculum, and some of the related ideas about race, were specific to African-Americans, such ideas and lessons could be adapted for other racial and ethnic groups, as well, she said.

Even more importantly, Jones said, learning about cultural diversity and heritage, as well as dispelling stereotypes, can be applied in whole-class settings, not just designated for certain ethnic groups.

"It's about how hearing the humanness of the other person - encouraging people to develop relationships with people who don't look like them, makes all of us grow," she said.

Other authors on the paper were graduate students in UW School Psychology program, Lisa Lee, Alexa Matlack and Julia Zigarelli.

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For more information, contact Jones at jjones2@uw.edu or 206-616-6370.

Tag(s): College of Education * Janine Jones

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Promoting self-esteem among African-American girls through racial, cultural connections

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Education | News releases | Social science | UW and the community For African-American students, data, alongside societal attitudes and stereotypes, often present a negative picture: a wide academic achievement gap separating them from their white peers. Higher rates of discipline and absenteeism. Discrimination by other students, teachers and the larger community.

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10 Benefits of Self Awareness And How it Can Impact Your Life –...

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One of the main benefits of self-awareness is that it allows you to see yourself more clearly. This leads to many other benefits as well both in your work…

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Inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold relies heavily on girls having caring and supportive mentoring relationships, positive peer interactions, and an affirming environment where they can learn and pursue self-discovery. Our approach at Girls Inc. stresses the importance of building self-confidence in girls while also emphasizing healthy relationships inside and outside the classroom.

At Girls Inc., we fully invest ourselves in girl development, and social-emotional learning (SEL) is an integral way in which we help prepare girls to navigate the challenges and opportunities life throws their way. SEL is particularly important for the girls we serve, girls from low-income communities and girls of color, who experience even greater inequality and thus face unique and compounding challenges. How does SEL play out in real life? Let's paint the picture.

Girls enter the program space and join a group discussing relationships and standing up for others who are being teased and bullied. The facilitator blends into the circle and listens as the girls drive the conversation, which includes sharing stories, asking questions, and showing a range of emotions. The facilitator only steps in when there is an opportunity for the girls to think a little deeper, use empathy, reflect on how they can use their skills, or consider alternatives to past decisions.

We approach SEL focusing on the types of skills that are particularly important to girls - those that help them push past stereotypes and limited expectations. Girls feel empowered to take healthy risks and lead as role models. They are more comfortable stepping outside their comfort zones. They readily share their ideas and ask questions. As girls learn to succeed-and to fail- in a supportive space, they build the confidence and self-awareness to push past barriers and grow up to be successful women.

Our intensive outcomes work allows Girls Inc. to measure the impact of SEL and shows us that it does indeed play a critical role in girl development. Not only do social-emotional skills correspond with higher levels of diligence, perseverance, leadership, standing up for one's beliefs and fairness, social responsibility, and self-regulation, but educating girls in social-emotional learning also produces higher academic performance.

At Girls Inc., we are dedicated to continuous implementation of SEL so that girls can see the benefits in their school, social and family spheres. This comprehensive, holistic approach to development provides girls a foundation to build healthy relationships with others and importantly themselves. We take great pride in helping girls cultivate these critical skills to overcome serious challenges, set and achieve their goals, and become successful in school and in life.

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Social and emotional learning is essential for girls to thrive | Girls Inc

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Inspiring girls to be strong, smart and bold relies heavily on girls having caring and supportive mentoring relationships, positive peer interactions, and an affirming environment where they can learn and pursue self-discovery. Our approach at Girls Inc. stresses the importance of building self-confidence in girls while also emphasizing healthy relationships inside and outside the classroom.

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interview style article

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Racial and Cultural Identity

Here's a challenge: Scroll through your social media feeds. How many posts, memes or articles do you see about race? How many about racism? If your accounts are anything like mine, on any given day, you'll likely find at least a few - headlines, photos, and videos all commanding our attention, encouraging us to comment, like, and share. Our teens are seeing these messages, too. And many are beginning to explore how race fits into their identity.

Dr. Joanna Lee Williams , Associate Professor at University of Virginia's Curry School of Education and Human Development and Associate Director of Research for the Young Women Leaders Program , a mentoring initiative for girls in middle school, thinks adolescence is an ideal time for youth to begin exploring their racial or ethnic identity.

Williams' research focuses on youth development through the lens of race and ethnicity. She explores the many ways teens grow to understand their heritage and how learning about themselves positively shapes their behavior and beliefs. To Professor Williams, this isn't fluff. She argues students who are encouraged to embrace and explore their ethnic identity may actually perform better in school. I found our conversation especially insightful, and we remain so grateful she's an affiliate faculty member at CPTC .

Allison Gilbert: You say embracing racial or ethnic heritage is connected to students doing well in school. How does this understanding affect teens of color?

Joanna Lee Williams: There is great value in encouraging teens of color to embrace their heritage. Feeling good about and connected to your ethnic group is positively associated with school performance, mental well-being, and good physical health. Teens of color might not always experience welcoming or affirming spaces in school. They may face stereotypes about their academic abilities, they may not see people like them represented in school materials, or they may experience disproportionately harsh discipline. Feeling a sense of pride in and/or a strong connection to one's ethnic background gives teens a source from which to draw strength . This can be an important asset in the face of adversity.

Cultural pride can provide teens with motivation to succeed and helps them persevere in the face of obstacles.

AG: Let's dig into this a little deeper. In what way does understanding ethnic identity prepare adolescents to cope with discrimination and other types of adversity?

JLW: Cultural pride can provide teens with motivation to succeed and help them persevere in the face of obstacles. Ethnic group connections may also provide teenagers with opportunities to cope, by sharing with others who can relate to their experiences. And finally, teens who feel good about their ethnic heritage may have greater capacity to respond to discrimination in ways that are more constructive.

All of this being said, having a strong sense of ethnic identity can be a double-edged sword for teens. If race or ethnicity is a very deeply rooted part of their identity, they may be more attuned to instances of discrimination - both explicit encounters and ones that may be more subtle.

AG: When teens embrace their ethnic identity, how do their peers, teachers, and school communities generally respond?

JLW: Developing a strong sense of ethnic identity is a process; it's not something that happens overnight. As part of this process, teens of color may be drawn to peers who share their heritage. These peer groups can be affirming. When this happens in diverse schools, adults or other peers may think these teens are intentionally segregating themselves. This perspective overlooks the benefits that come with "same-ethnic" friendships. When teens can reflect on what their ethnic heritage means to them and integrate this understanding as a meaningful part of their identity, they often become more comfortable interacting with peers from other ethnic groups.

AG: What role do schools play in all of this? Should they even have a role?

JLW: Yes! Schools play an important role in supporting ethnic identity exploration and pride. They can work to ensure students' identities are affirmed through educational programming that reflects varied cultures. They can challenge stereotypes linking ethnic groups to particular academic outcomes. And encourage school staff to examine how implicit biases may unintentionally impact relationships with students. Like all students, teens of color need to be able to trust that adults and peers in their school will treat them fairly.

AG: As Associate Director of Research for the Young Women Leaders Program, you study what helps girls in middle school thrive. What should parents keep in mind?

JLW: Young teens are often striving for balance - balance between developing increasing independence and maintaining stable, trusting connections with parents. Navigating this middle ground can be challenging, but it helps if parents recognize it's a normal part of growing up .

Middle school students are in the midst of a dynamic set of changes. As a result of puberty, their bodies are changing , often quite dramatically. Areas of their brain that help them control their emotions and make calm decisions are still actively developing, and they tend to be very sensitive to social feedback. On top of that, moving from elementary to middle school can be a big transition that involves navigating a much more complex setting. As a parent, it is important to acknowledge these changes can be hard to manage - just imagine if you had to go through puberty or middle school again! Knowing to expect ups-and-downs can prepare parents to stay calm when their teen seems upset, aloof, or defiant.

We also know that a combination of parental warmth and firmness benefits tweens across a variety of ethnic groups and family structures. Warmth includes recognizing what's important to your teen. Firmness includes both support and monitoring. Support means providing just enough help so teens can meet challenges on their own, while monitoring means knowing what's going on in their lives. Just because teens are older than they once were, their need for a safe and loving environment does not go away.

AG: What do you plan to research next? What's most pressing to you right now?

JLW: I am really interested in middle school students and their social relationships, especially in ethnically diverse schools. One of the things we don't know enough about is how teen friendships across racial and ethnic lines can support (or get in the way of) equal access to school resources. We often target teachers and curricula to address these challenges, but we may be underestimating how social relationships come into play.

Beyond examining students' social relationships, I have an ongoing commitment to push for changes in school systems that help promote equality and access to resources among all students. I'm also invested in making sure schools are more responsive to the developmental needs of adolescents. Adolescence is a period that is rich with opportunity and it's critical we invest in youth by creating supportive settings that match their strengths and capabilities.

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Promoting Racial and Cultural Pride in Teens

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Here's a challenge: Scroll through your social media feeds. How many posts, memes or articles do you see about race? How many about racism? If your accounts are anything like mine, on any given day, you'll likely find at least a few - headlines, photos, and videos all commanding our attention, encouraging us to comment, like, and share.

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A white student in an Iowa middle school brings a knife to school, threatens another student, and is placed an in-school program for eight weeks. A black student in the same school brings a knife to school and is immediately expelled.

Join us on February 21 for a Facebook Live event, Dismantling the School to Prison Pipeline for Girls of Color. Click here ›

As an in-school suspension educator at the school in question, Yvonne Shepherd has a front-row seat to the impact of disproportionate discipline policies on students of color. Although Black students comprise around 20 percent of the school's student population, of the approximately 600 student referrals during the school year's first semester, 400 are Black and that includes girls.

Shepherd acknowledges that girls of color at her school are more likely to be in trouble for insubordination and "silly fights over hair and looks and boys." But there is a difference, says Phillips, in the way in which rowdy girls of color and their rowdy white peers are disciplined.

The ways in which girls of color are seen-and see themselves-has a definite impact on the way in which they're treated, confirms Professor Erika Wilson, who speaks from experience. A gifted student and fast reader, Wilson was automatically tracked into a remedial reading group in her predominantly White elementary school.

A scholar activist at the University of North Carolina School of Law, Wilson's research focuses on racial equality in education and the intersection of race and gender. She breaks down the one-dimensional, cartoonish stereotypes girls of color must navigate:

African-American girls are portrayed as "loud, obnoxious Mammys and Jezebels; American Indians as wild, permissive Pocahontases; Latinas as sassy, hot-tempered firebrands; and Asian and Pacific Americans as exotic but passive model-minority nerds. Girls of color from all groups suffer the stigma of being depicted as oversexualized seductresses.

These stereotypes carry over into the way girls of color are disciplined. According to the most recent federal data, Black girls' 12% suspension rate is much higher than girls of any other race and most boys, and research shows that dark girls are disciplined more harshly than those with lighter skin.

American Indian and Native-Alaskan girls have a 7% suspension rate that is higher than the 6% suspension rate for White boys, while Latinas have a 4 percent suspension rate compared to 2% for white girls. Asian American girls have the lowest suspension rates at 1%.

Unfortunately, studies show that stereotypes are internalized by educators of all races and the students themselves. Awareness for both groups is the first step in addressing the problem says Wilson.

At a recent meeting of the Lunch Circle at Crossland High School in Prince George's County, Maryland, an animated group of Black girls and Latinas discussed the "messed up" gender stereotypes governing the behavior of girls and boys-from double standards involving sexuality to the glass ceiling.

"I started the Lunch Circle this school year as a way to reach out to young ladies who were being written up for insubordination and minor transgressions," says Rainya Miller, an instructional program coordinator for the National Board Certified Teacher Program.

Miller explains that home life and community life are often behind the emotional issues some of her girls bring to school. What's worse, these issues are compounded by negative stereotypes that color the ways in which they're perceived and treated. "It's harder to focus on academics if you're in defense mode all the time," says Miller.

To help educators get past their own implicit biases and students' defenses, Miller recommends cultural competence training. To help students transition from defense mode to relationship building, Miller emphasizes self-awareness and cultural awareness. "Feeling good about themselves is the foundation for everything else."

"Building pride within my students rather than shame for who they are is powerful," affirms Rachel Byington. An Oklahoma educator from the Choctaw nation, Byington manages her district's Title VII federal program for American Indian students, who are suspended at a rate second only to Black students.

Byington brings together Native students from all over her district to build Native identity through multiple Title VII programs. These programs provide students with academic and emotional supports that help them strengthen self-esteem and reject demeaning stereotypes.

Girls in the program have a much higher graduation rate and are more likely to pursue post-secondary education than their peers, reports Byington, who says their experiences have inspired some girls to sharpen their advocacy skills.

"As bad as stereotypes and mascots are, fighting them is bringing out the activist spirit in many of my girls," she says with pride.

Both educators are optimistic about the progress they've made but are concerned that just as they are gaining ground, the new administration's law and order platform might turn back the clock.

"No one knows what to expect," echoes Professor Wilson, who encourages activists to advocate for positive discipline policies at the state and local levels. "We have to be especially vigilant to ensure all the progress we've made isn't just gone with the wind."

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Disciplining girls of color: moving from stereotypes to self-awareness - NEA EdJustice

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A white student in an Iowa middle school brings a knife to school, threatens another student, and is placed an in-school program for eight weeks. A black student in the same school brings a knife to school and is immediately expelled.

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National Museum of African American History and Culture

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We each bring our own beliefs, experiences, and feelings to our anti-racist work - a work that is difficult and demanding. Our ongoing commitment to actively think about and take action against racism, combined with a sense of urgency and deep caring, adds pressure and stress to our daily lives. The emotional impact of this work is real, therefore it is vital that we all practice "self-care" to benefit our overall health and quality of life.

Self-care, at its most basic, refers to a person's effort to maintain their wellness and health. Initiated and maintained by each individual based on their own needs, self-care requires active engagement and conscious effort to form new, beneficial habits. Caring for ourselves helps to bring balance, focus, and mindfulness to our lives. In turn, this helps us to better navigate the challenging social and political issues related to our anti-racist work.

More About Self-Care
The term "self-care" refers to a wide range of practices and activities we engage in to care for ourselves(most often without the consultation of a medical professional). These practices address the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our lives - at the most basic level. Some define it by the need to balance and maintain the mind, body, and spirit - or thinking, feeling, and behaving. It is often referred to as "wellness," a "healthy balance," "resilience," or simply, mental health. We engage in self-care to balance our lives and to better our health, with the acknowledgment that our mind, body, and spirit are interconnected.
Self-care is not an "emergency response plan" to be activated when stress becomes overwhelming.
Healthy self-care is an intentional way of living where your values, attitudes, and mindful actions become part of your daily routine.

Self-care is not about doing more or adding more tasks to your already overflowing to-do list.
Healthy self-care is as much about "letting go" as it is about acting.

Self-care is not the same for everybody.
What works well for someone else might not be the best option for you.

While there is no single formula for self-care, even a deep centering breath can provide a moment of calm. Each self-care plan is unique to the individual and changes over time. When we listen to our bodies, hearts, and minds, and consider input from trusted friends, we can find resiliency and renew our lives and work.

Take care of yourself when taking care of others

Equity work at its core is about humanity and relationships. Relationships take emotional investment and at times, emotional and intellectual labor. And while caring for others can be incredibly fulfilling, the labor and commitment required can result in burnout. Therefore it is important to recognize the importance and benefits of self-care.

Burnout is "a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job - defined by the three dimensions of exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.* " There's a common misconception in equity work that "to accomplish more, you need to sacrifice more." This view is shortsighted and can lead to burnout. When we prioritize our health - mental, physical, and emotional - we are better equipped to manage life's demands.

While the term burnout commonly refers to the fatigue experienced by the demands within a professional setting, similar fatigue and anxiety can develop from our daily social and personal interactions. We can help ourselves achieve a more emotionally stable footing by making self-care a routine part of our lives.

*According to the most commonly used definition developed by researchers Maslach, Schaufeli and Leiter.

The importance of mindfulness
Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them - without believing, for instance, that there's a "right" or "wrong" way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we're sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.
- Greater Good Magazine: Science Based Insights for a Meaningful Life, UC Berkeley
Mindfulness has been proven to have numerous health benefits including:

People who practice self-care benefit themselves and society by decreasing stress which in turn lowers barriers of communication. By being mindful, looking inward and recognizing any negativity we may have internalized, we can develop compassion and patience for ourselves and others. Being mindful allows us to work toward a more equitable society effectively.

Let's Think

Personalized Self Care Wheel: Reflect on your current practice of self-care.

Create an empty self-care wheel with the sections (physical, psychological, emotional...) listed in the circle above.

Give yourself a rating of 1-10 for each.

For the sections you rated a 5 or below, fill in 2-3 actions listed inside the wheel, or make up your own, that will help you improve in this section.

Focus on one section of the wheel each week and reflect on your progress at the end of the week:

Did I meet the goals I set for myself?

What made it more difficult to complete some goals than others?

Am I ready to move on or do I want to try this section again?

Finding time to breathe and center yourself can help you refocus and avoid burnout, even if it's for two minutes. This tool helps you do nothing for two minutes.

Let's Talk

Spread the word. Who is someone in your life you can share information about self-care?

What are the critical conversations you've been avoiding that add stress to your life? What will you do to ground yourself before and during these conversations?

What are some positive affirmations you can tell yourself (in your head or out loud) throughout the day? Here are a few if you're unsure where to start.

Let's Act

What are some self-care practices you can make time for today?

4-7-8 Breathing Method: We are always breathing. While it is true that we need to breathe to stay alive, few of us are conscious about how well we are breathing. Taking deep breaths helps us relax and decreases stress.

STEPS:

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.

Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of 4.

Hold your breath for a count of 7.

Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8.

This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Journaling: Writing can be an effective way to process and understand our emotions. Consider keeping a journal, writing on sticky-notes or on your mobile device (although studies have shown that our brains flow more freely with pen and paper - link to the study). Here is one practice to try:

Interactive Self-Care Guide: Addressing the complexities of your own emotions can be challenging. If you're not sure where to begin, try this interactive self-care guide. It will help you accomplish concrete steps towards healing as you fill in how you feel.

Want to seek professional help? PsychologyToday.com can help you find a therapist in your area.

For Parents:

For Educators:

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We each bring our own beliefs, experiences, and feelings to our anti-racist work - a work that is difficult and demanding. Our ongoing commitment to actively think about and take action against racism, combined with a sense of urgency and deep caring, adds pressure and stress to our daily lives.

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Racial Identity, Academic Identity, and Academic Outcomes for Students of Color

Download: Exploring Equity Issues - Identity and Race

Part of CEE's Exploring Equity Issues series, this brief discusses the strong relationship between identity construction in academics and academic achievement. Educators can support students as they develop their identities and leverage it to improve academic outcomes. We provide research on identity theory and strategies educators can use in the classroom to meet the needs of their students.

Racial Identity, Academic Identity, and Academic Outcomes for Students of Color

Experts in psychology and education have shown a strong relationship between identity construction in academics and academic achievement. Studies show that students' academic self-perceptions in math and science relate to academic performance (Bouchey & Harter, 2005); students' perceptions of their academic identities relate to their college aspirations (Howard, 2003); and identity matters in the books students choose to read (McCarthey & Moje, 2002; Williams, 2004). Studies also show the effect of self-concept on motivation (particularly engagement and learning in the classroom) and on grades (Choi, 2005; Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2003). This brief focuses on the racial component of one's identity and how educators can support students as they develop their identities and leverage it to improve academic outcomes.
PART I: RACIAL AND ACADEMIC IDENTITY
Identity is essentially the answer to the question "who am I?" A person constructs his or her identity throughout life. It is comprised of religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, economic background, and a host of other factors. In identity theory, an identity is "the categorization of the self as an occupant of a role and an incorporation of the meanings and expectations associated with that role and its performance" (Stets & Burke, 2000).

Many factors influence the ways in which adolescents view themselves (Fairbanks & Broughton, 2003). The cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds of students play an integral role in their beliefs, practices, and expectations for education (Boykin & Toms, 1985). Aspects of an academic identity and an academic self-concept are strongly related to and have an effect on the academic performance of students. Awareness of race and the ways in which structural/institutional racism affects students of color is key to helping them achieve their full academic potential (Howard, 2010).

Academic identity (or academic self concept) has been generally defined as how we see ourselves in an academic domain. Academic identity is a dimension of a larger, global selfconcept (Howard, 2003). Moreover, a student's academic identity can affect how he or she navigates the school environment. It influences behaviors and choices that students make which affect their educational outcomes. These student outcomes include achievement, academic performance, intellectual engagement, disidentification/ identification, goal orientation/learning goals, educational and occupational aspirations, and motivation.

It is important for educators to have an understanding of how race and culture manifest in education and how race shapes how students see their worlds. On November 13, 2017, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) released data from the 2016 Universal Crime Report Hate Crime Statistics program. In 2016, there were 6,063 single-bias incidents reported to law enforcement agencies. Of that number, approximately 58% were motivated by bias due to race, ethnicity, or ancestry. And 9.9% of these issues occurred at a school or college. While not all incidents of bias are classified as hate crimes, they occur much too often to be ignored. This pattern of racial and cultural bias influences how students shape their world view and impacts their concept of self and academic identity.

As educators, we must understand a student's academic self-concept because it can explain their orientation to school (Plucker & Stocking, 2001). School factors help shape a student's self-constructed perceptions; for students of color in particular, academic identity is hard to separate from racial and gender identities (Howard, 2003). Leveraging racial identity and racial/cultural awareness may be one way that educators can help meet the varied needs of students. Person environment fit and self-determination theory provide a framework which suggests that certain student needs should be met in order for students to be engaged and motivated in school. As children develop, their needs change and the educational environment (including instructional practices and classroom structure) must shift to meet their needs.

Numerous studies conducted between 1992 and 2001 illuminate how multicultural learning and teaching help foster positive classroom behavior and superior academic achievement for students of color (Allen & Boykin, 1992; Banks, 1993; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Lee, 2001).
PART II: WHAT CAN WE DO?
USE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES
Researchers and educators have looked to the role of cultural background, beliefs, and practices in student achievement. In particular, they have stressed culture as a primary link for understanding the academic performance of African American students (e.g., Boykin, 2002; Rogoff, 2003). To enhance the academic outcomes of this population, the curriculum and instructional strategies in public schools should begin to reflect students' out-of-school cultural experiences (Foster, Lewis, & Onafowora, 2003; Wong & Rowley, 2001). Educators can improve cultural continuity between their students' home and school experiences by identifying and activating student strengths or
situating learning in the lives of students and their families. These strategies can be implemented in a number of ways such as incorporating multicultural books in instructional practices or teaching content by using issues in the students' community.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Racial identity has also been deemed an asset in helping students of color negotiate "exposure to risk associated with racial injustice" (Neblett, RivasDrake, & Umana-Taylor, 2012; Zimmerman, Stoddard, Eisman, Caldwell, Aiyer, & Miller, 2013). For students of color, racial identity can serve as a protective and promotive factor of achievement-related outcomes (Oyserman, 2003; Rowley, 1998; Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelk-Cone, & Zimmerman, 2003; Wong & Rowley, 2001). One way that educators can help their students is to acknowledge the socio-political and historical role that race has played in the United States.

UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTIVATION, IDENTITY, AND ACADEMIC OUTCOMES
Self-determination theory is based on the idea that people have intrinsic propensities to engage in active, curiosity-based exploration and to integrate new experiences into the self (Hadre & Reeve, 2003; Ryan & Deci, 2002; Skinner & Edge, 2002). This intrinsic motivation and self-regulation leads to positive outcomes such as achievement in school, better decision-making, and goal-setting behaviors. It occurs when certain psychological needs are met: the need for competence, the need for relatedness, and the need for autonomy. Competence refers to feeling capable to complete a task. Relatedness refers to a sense of belonging to the environment. Autonomy is the need for independence and the need to make choices.

Educators can meet the three psychological needs in a number of ways. To satisfy the need for competence, educators can provide students with tasks that they have the skills to complete. Educators can build upon these tasks, as the level of rigor increases, so that students feel capable of completing. To satisfy the need for relatedness, educators can provide students with opportunities to work collaboratively and share their interests and goals with one another. In addition, elevating and utilizing student voice and input increases their sense of
relatedness to the environment. To satisfy the need for autonomy, educators can help students by enhancing their opportunities for decision-making and with setting goals. These psychological needs moderate the relationships between risk factors and outcomes for African American students. Students may internalize negative beliefs about their racial group, which may negatively affect their performance in school. This is known as Claude Steele's notion of stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995). The process of internalization, a tenet of self-determination theory, occurs because students begin to identify with and internalize messages they receive in their environment. Stigmatized individuals internalize messages and beliefs associated with their group stigma.

When educators meet these needs, students become more engaged and feel more self-determined. By understanding the role of racial identity and academic identity in the lived experiences of students of color, educators can recognize the underlying mechanisms between motivation, engagement, and school outcomes and reduce bias in the classroom and in schools.

Written by Karmen Rouland PhD.

REFERENCES

Allen, B. A. and Boykin, A. W. (1992). African American children and the educational process: Alleviating cultural discontinuity through prescriptive pedagogy. School Psychology Review, 21(4), 586-596.

Banks, J. A. (1993). Multicultural education: Historical development, dimension, and practice. Review of Research in Education, 19, 3-49. DOI: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1167339

Bouchey, H. A. & Harter, S. (2005). Reflected appraisals, academic self-perceptions, and math/science performance during early adolescence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 97(4), 673-686. DOI: 10.1037/0022-0663.97.4.673

Boykin, A. W. (2002). Integrity-based schooling strategies: Promoting the talent development philosophy. Unpublished manuscript.

Boykin, A. W. & Toms, F. D. (1985). Black child socialization: A conceptual framework. In H. P. McAdoo and J. L. McAdoo (Eds.), Black children: Social, educational, and parental environments (pp. 33-51). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Chavous, T M. (2000). The relationships among racial identity, perceived ethnic fit, and organizational involvement for African American students at a predominantly White university. Journal of Black Psychology, 26(1), 79-100. DOI: 10.1177/0095798400026001005

Choi, N. (2005). Self-efficacy and self-concept as predictors of college students' academic performance. Psychology in the Schools, 42(2), 197-205. DOI: 10.1002/pits.20048

Fairbanks, C. M., & Broughton, M. A. (2003). Literacy lessons: The convergence of expectations, practices, and classroom culture. Journal of Literacy Research, 34(4), 391-428. DOI:10.1207/s15548430jlr3404_2

Ferguson, R. F. (2003). Teachers' perceptions and expectations and the Black-White test score gap. Urban Education, 38(4), 460-507. DOI: 10.1177/0042085903038004006

Foster, M., Lewis, J. & Onafowora, L. (2003). Anthropology, culture and research on teaching and learning: Applying what we have learned to improve practice. Teachers College Record,105(2), 261-277.

Hadre, P. L. and Reeve, J. (2003) A motivational model of rural students' intentions to persist in, versus drop out of, high school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 347-356. DOI: 10.1037/0022-0663.95.2.347

Howard, T. C. (2003). "A tug of war for our minds:" African American high school students' perceptions of their academic identities and college aspirations. High School Journal, 87(1), 4-17. DOI: 10.1353/hsj.2003.0017

Howard, T. (2010). Why race and culture matter in schools: Closing the achievement gap in America's classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.

Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishing Co. Lee, C.D. (2001). Is October Brown Chinese? A cultural modeling activity system for underachieving students. American Educational Research Journal, 38(1), 97-142. DOI:
10.3102/00028312038001097

Linnenbrink, E. A., & Pintrich, P. R. (2003). The role of self-efficacy beliefs in student engagement and learning in the classroom. Reading and Writing Quarterly, 19(2), 119-137. DOI: 10.1080/10573560308223

McCarthey, S. J. & Moje, E. B. (2002). Identity matters. Reading Research Quarterly, 37(2), 228-238. DOI: 10.1598/RRQ.37.2.6

Neblett, E. W., Rivas-Drake, D., & Umana-Taylor, A. J. (2012). The promise of racial and ethnic protective factors in promoting ethnic minority youth development. Child DevelopmentPerspectives, 6(3), 295-303. DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00239.x

Oyserman, D., Bybee, D., & Terry, K. (2003). Gendered racial identity and involvement with school. Self and Identity, 2(4), 307-324. DOI: 10.1080/714050250

Plucker, J. A. & Stocking, V. B. (2001). Looking outside and inside: Self-concept development of gifted adolescents. Exceptional Children, 67(4), 535-548. DOI: 10.1177/001440290106700407

Rogoff, B. (2003). The cultural nature of cognitive development. Oxford University Press: New York.

Rowley, S. J., Sellers, R. M., & Chavous, T. M. (1998). The relationship between racial identity and self esteem in African American college and high school students. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(3), 715-724. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.74.3.715

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2002). An overview of Self-determination Theory: An organismic-dialectical perspective. In E. L. Deci & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research. 3-33. Rochester, NY: The University of Rochester Press.

Sellers, R. M., Caldwell, C. H., Schmeelk-Cone, K. H., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2003). Racial identity, racial discrimination, perceived stress, and psychological distress among African American young adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44(3), 302 - 317.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1519781

Skinner, E. A., & Edge, K. (2002). Parenting, motivation, and the development of children's coping. In L. J. Crockett (Ed.), Agency, motivation, and the life course: The Nebaska symposium on motivation, Vol. 48 (pp. 77-143). Lincoln, NE: University Of Nebraska Press.

Steele, C. M. & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797-811. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.797

Stets, J. E., & Burke, P. J. (2000). Identity theory and social identity theory. Social Psychology Quarterly, 63, 224-237. DOI: 10.2307/2695870.

Williams, B. T. (2004). Heroes, rebels, and victims: Student identities in literacy narratives. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 47(4), 342-345. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40014780.

Wong, C. A. & Rowley, S. J. (2001). The schooling of ethnic minority children: Commentary. Educational Pscyhologist, 36(1), 57-66. DOI: 10.1207/S15326985EP3601_6

Zimmerman, M. A., Stoddard, S. A., Eisman, A. B., Caldwell, C. H., Aiyer, S. M., Miller, A. (2013). Adolescent resilience: Promotive factors that inform prevention. Child Development Perspectives, 7(4), 215-220. DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12042.

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Racial Identity, Academic Identity, and Academic Outcomes for Students of Color - MAEC, Inc.

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Part of CEE's Exploring Equity Issues series, this brief discusses the strong relationship between identity construction in academics and academic achievement. Educators can support students as they develop their identities and leverage it to improve academic outcomes. We provide research on identity theory and strategies educators can use in the classroom to meet the needs of their students.

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power point presentation

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On June 14, the White House and its partners convened people from around the world for the United State of Women, a large-scale effort to both celebrate how far women and girls have come and all that still remains to be done. Below, Beverly Bond, founder of BLACK GIRLS ROCK!, explains the importance of empowering young women of color.
A significant part of my advocacy work as a social innovator and cultural curator is centered around the urgent need to counter the misrepresentations of women of color in media. I founded BLACK GIRLS ROCK! in 2006 to create a new paradigm where black women can articulate and celebrate our own beauty, womanhood and blackness  -  and highlight the spectrum of our brilliance on our own terms.

Today, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! has evolved into an international movement connecting black women across the African Diaspora. When I began this effort, I did not consider myself a leader or a change-maker. I was a black woman simply reacting to the constant barrage of toxic media messages that degraded, dehumanized and belittled black women and girls.

There was a paradox regarding black women's presence in media  -  we were both hyper-visible and invisible at the same time. On the one side of this par

A wide scope of black womanhood remains unseen and unvoiced.

adox, there was a belligerent onslaught of demeaning, stereotypical, and objectifying images in the media that were the dominant representations of women of color. On the other side, there was an overwhelming absence of diverse, beautiful, powerful and holistic images of black women in popular culture.

Even today, there is a wide scope of black womanhood that remains unseen and unvoiced. Far too often the breadth and depth of contributions made by black women are marginalized, untaught and under-praised. As a result, young black girls do not always get to see representations of role models and trail-blazing "sheroes" who look like them.

Black girls grow up painfully aware of the relationship between race, gender and privilege. As a black girl, you learn that because of the body and skin that you are born in, society has placed you on the bottom of its hierarchy.

When the media omits your narrative and does not celebrate your diversity, complexity, cultural identity, aesthetic, accomplishments and historical legacy it can alter your perception of self-worth. When the messages in media tell young girls of color that they are not as beautiful, powerful, valuable and important as all the other girls in the world they become blind to the essence and magnificence of their uniqueness - their 'Black Girl Magic' - and that blindness can warp their positive identity formation and cripple them from navigating their most productive life-paths.

Black girls need to know that they matter. They need to see examples of success, leadership, achievement, sisterhood and humanitarianism in abundance so that they can gain confidence in their ability to become their best and greatest selves.

In order to overcome the countless barriers experienced by black girls that may threaten to thwart their aspirations for success, I believe it is essential to nourish the next generation of girls through programs, images and examples that give black girls the confidence, tools and experience necessary to become dynamic leaders, innovators and doers.

Over the last 10 years, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! has been at the forefront of a movement helping to create a cultural paradigm shift regarding the portrayal of women of color in mass media. We've also worked fervently to create highly effective and impactful leadership and educational programs for teen girls to enhance their self-esteem, confidence, work ethic, integrity, critical thinking, cultural literacy and civic engagement.

In my effort to continue building platforms that empower women globally, I am excited to join powerful women thought leaders  -  who also desire to make the world a more equitable place for all women and girls  -  at the United States of Women Summit.
Beverly Bond is an entrepreneur, TV producer, mentor, activist, celebrity DJ, cultural curator and social innovator. She founded BLACK GIRLS ROCK! in 2006. *This article originally appeared on Medium.

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Empower a Girl, Change the World - The Aspen Institute

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On June 14, the White House and its partners convened people from around the world for the United State of Women, a large-scale effort to both celebrate how far women and girls have come and all that still remains to be done.

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Student perspective

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Ask a teacher to explain something you don't understand?

Talk with adults about giving you more freedom and responsibility?

If so, you're already on your way to becoming a stronger self-advocate! Tip: If you come across an unfamiliar word as you read this, don't just skip over it, look it up! This will help you get the information you need AND build a strong vocabulary.
What Is a Self-Advocate?

A self-advocate is someone who speaks up for themselves. Self-advocates ask for what they need and want, and try to have as much of a say as possible in making their own life decisions.

Why Should I Become a Self-Advocate?

Until now, adults have made most of the decisions about your life for you. However, now that you are becoming an adult yourself, you should have a say in what you do, in what you want, and in where you are going. Being able to make your own decisions is important because it allows you to:

Live as independently as possible

Do the things you like

Pursue goals after high school

Get a job in the career field you want

Have healthy relationships

Control your own body and health

Manage your own money

Get the services and supports you need

Being a self-advocate is especially important if you have a disability, because you need to:

Understand your rights in different education settings and the workplace

Know how and when to ask for accommodations to do your best

Know how to navigate the community and access the services and supports you need

Advocate for friends and family members who also have disabilities

4 Steps for Becoming a Stronger Self-Advocate!

1. Get to know yourself. It helps to start by figuring out:

The self-advocacy skills you have, and the ones you need to work on

The areas of your life in which you are a strong self-advocate (ex: school, friendships)

The areas in which you want to speak up more and play a bigger role in decision-making

Am I Learning to Lead is a tool that can help you to do a self-assessment in the areas of learning, connecting, thriving, working, and leading.

2. Learn your rights and responsibilities.

After you decide the specific areas you want to become a stronger self-advocate in, it's important to learn what your legal rights are in those areas, and how to responsibly advocate for those rights. For example:

If you have a disability, you have the right to reasonable accommodations at school and work

It is your responsibility to know what a reasonable accommodation is, and how to ask for one

To learn more about your rights if you have a disability, check out: http://www.ndrn.org/index.php.

3. Speak up!

Once you know what areas you want to be a stronger self-advocate in and what your rights and responsibilities are, it's time to start speaking up for what you need and what you want. You can start doing this by:

Sharing your thoughts and opinions in class, at the dinner table, at your place of worship, etc.

Asking questions if you don't understand something your teacher, advisor or your doctor says

Talking with adults and your friends about planning your classes, activities and life after graduation

Standing up for your rights if you think they're being violated

When appropriate, asking for accommodations at school or at work

4. Team up!

Being a strong self-advocate doesn't mean doing everything on your own. There is strength in numbers, and most famous self-advocates, like Martin Luther King Jr. worked with others to achieve common goals.

Think about building a team of people who know you well whom you can trust to help you become a strong self-advocate. Some of these people could be:

Friends and older students you admire

Teachers, principals, and academic advisors

Coaches, religious leaders, counselors, and nurses who you have worked with

Family members who want you to be as independent as possible

You can also learn about disability history and how people teamed up to speak up for themselves:

Things to Think About

You have the power! Being a self-advocate is rarely easy, but never forget that you deserve the life you want and you have the power to make it happen. Most importantly never, EVER give up.

Balance. Being a strong self-advocate is all about balancing assertiveness and respectfulness. You have a right to speak up for what you want and need, but others are more likely to listen and work with you if you approach them as partners, not enemies.

Practice makes it easier. If you get nervous, and worry that your words won't come out right when you have to speak up for yourself, try practicing what you will say ahead of time. Writing down what you want to say, or talking it through with a friend can help you feel more confident.

It takes time. Don't think that you are not a strong self-advocate if you run into obstacles, or have some days when you just don't feel like advocating. Like any other new skill, learning how to effectively gain control over your own life doesn't happen overnight.!

Taking Action!

Now that you know:

What a self-advocate is,

Why it's important to be one, and

How you can become one...

...Start becoming a stronger self-advocate today!

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Youth in Action! - Becoming a Stronger Self-Advocate

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Ask a teacher to explain something you don't understand? Talk with adults about giving you more freedom and responsibility? If so, you're already on your way to becoming a stronger self-advocate! Tip: If you come across an unfamiliar word as you read this, don't just skip over it, look it up!

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The new Black and Brown Girls Affinity Group is one to promote awareness and give students an opportunity to be in their own safe space. Unlike other affinity groups at St. Paul Academy and Summit School that are more visible, BBG chooses to be a simple place where the girls can openly share their similar experiences and thoughts.

K-12 Diversity Dean Karen Dye describes this group as informal and one where the girls can feel like themselves.

"It is an affinity group for African Americans and Latino students, which is a broad range of students. Basically, the name Black and Brown Girls has gotten a little bit of push back because people are taking the name too literally. It's more about the culture. It's symbolic; Black and Brown means their culture. It's a group for those two groups of students that are very underrepresented in our community. It's about culture, not skin color," Dye said.

Dye also specifies how BBG is not exclusive but rather a time in their days to congregate and be welcomed.

"Brown and Black Girls affinity group is not private and it's not exclusionary but it's definitely a place where the girls just come and have an opportunity to talk and share their common experiences. It's just a place to decompress and to not have to put on any facade of who they are. They can really just be themselves.

The only goal is for it [Black and Brown Girls Affinity Group] to be a safe space"

- K-12 Diversity Dean Karen Dye

," Dye said.
Sophomore Olivia Williams Ridge who co founded BBG with sophomores Amina Smaller and Eva Garcia describes the group as being a supportive environment that provides the girls something to look forward to in the midst of busy and often stressful school days.

" Our goal for this affinity group is just to provide a safe space for us and create a supportive community with the few Hispanic and Black girls that go to SPA. In the future we plan to sponsor events that will include the community, but for now, this group is just made for us," Williams Ridge said.

BBG meets Friday tutorials however next year they plan on changing that. Dye emphasizes the importance of being able to share your individuality in a group, and she feels BBG does just that.

" If anyone feels like there's a part of their identity that they're not able to fully express in a community then this group is an opportunity for them to be their authentic selves in that environment," Dye said.

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Black and Brown Girls Affinity Group provides safe space for girls

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The new Black and Brown Girls Affinity Group is one to promote awareness and give students an opportunity to be in their own safe space. Unlike other affinity groups at St. Paul Academy and Summit School that are more visible, BBG chooses to be a simple place where the girls can openly share their similar...

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Having confidence in their identities is not always a given for students. Schools, like other institutions, are spaces in which those outside the dominant culture can feel disregarded, whether the disregard is intentional or not.

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"You really shouldn't be having tests on a major holiday. We can communicate this up to the teachers and the administration," math teacher and affinity group leader Jeannie Rumsey told the students. "We can find another time for you to make that up, but this is a major holiday for you and you should be able to celebrate it." After organizing and communicating with their administration, the group succeeded in adding the major Muslim holy days to the following year's school calendar. The dates were given the same treatment as the Christian and Jewish holidays: no tests.

This example of collective action is one of the purposes of affinity groups in schools: They allow students who share an identity-usually a marginalized identity-to gather, talk in a safe space about issues related to that identity, and transfer that discussion into action that makes for a more equitable experience at school.

Dylan Posos, a student at John F. Kennedy High School in San Antonio, Texas, attests to the power of affinity groups to create safer learning environments. Dylan joined Kennedy's LGBT club in November 2014 after being disturbed by anti-LGBT bullying happening at school. He had not yet come out as transgender and was nervous about being judged. With the LGBT club, though, he found he could just be himself.

"The club motivated me to email my teachers. I came out with all my teachers, and now all my teachers call me Dylan," he says. "I'm more comfortable in school instead of being uncomfortable, not paying attention. It's like a weight off my back. The club gave that to me. It makes learning easier, really. It just gives me more confidence."

Having confidence in their identities is not always a given for students. Schools, like other institutions, are spaces in which those outside the dominant culture can feel disregarded, whether the disregard is intentional or not. Trying to negotiate and learn in such spaces makes the process of going to school stressful. Students of color, for example, may be dealing with what education professor Howard Stevenson calls racial stress: anxiety or fear that stems from racial encounters with individuals who are unaware or uncaring about the experiences of people of color. This kind of stress can contribute to feelings of loneliness and being "unseen" at school.

Darnell Fine, a seventh-grade English teacher and middle school diversity coordinator, speaks to the predispositions of many schools to overlook the needs of students outside the dominant group. "I think [school] can be a place that relegates students, especially students of color, especially students of marginalized groups, to silence," he explained. "It strips them of their voice. The students aren't voiceless, but due to the parameters of schools and how schools can marginalize students, they are at times not a place ... where students can express themselves."

Students need to be able to be themselves at school-and that's where affinity groups come in. A group of students who share an identity are going to relate to each other in ways they can't with peers who can't or don't understand their experience. It's about safety and, in some cases, about fundamental issues of injustice.

"The reason why affinity groups exist in the first place isn't because students want to segregate themselves from the rest of the population," Fine points out, "but because the population is excluding them to begin with." Gathering in safe spaces around shared identity allows students to engage in conversations about how they can subvert the structures that push them to the margins. In turn, these conversations "push the school to be more social-activist-oriented and less assimilationist-oriented," says Fine.

First Things First

Before a school can become more social-activist-oriented through affinity groups, someone has to get the ball rolling. Mike Ackerman, a counselor and affinity groups coordinator at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, Massachusetts, suggests starting by assembling a task force to get the initiative off the ground; this group should absolutely include students. Early collaboration can also involve soliciting the experience of other schools that have gone through the process of launching affinity groups, Rumsey noted.

In the idea-generation stage, an important step is to assess the attitudes and needs of the school. Fine recommends an anonymous diversity or multicultural survey of students, parents and school staff. Learning about concerns within the school community provides a springboard. "Let's say students of color don't feel comfortable going to their teachers," Fine illustrates. "You need to create a safe space for those students to voice those concerns and to start to organize."

Getting backing from the school's administration is also key, says Rumsey. "If your administration isn't in support of [forming affinity groups], it's not going to be successful. And, for that matter, the group's impact on your students will be severely limited," she says.

"I needed to have my principal and my admin on board with this because the conversations that we were having [in the affinity group] were very hard conversations. They were conversations that threatened the power structure," Fine says. "I knew my principal and the dean of students had my back. I wasn't tip-toeing around the conversation. I was allowing kids to voice their concerns and then propose initiatives to effect change in the school."

Launching a Successful Affinity Group

Once the higher-ups are on board, the task force can begin determining (based on the needs assessment) what groups are most necessary and finding facilitators. Another survey can be useful here, this time to find out how the adults in the school identify and what groups they'd be interested in leading. Rumsey and her team were careful to look for facilitators whose identities fit with the groups in question. Otherwise, the authenticity of the group's work could be in jeopardy. Fine puts it this way: "I can be an all-out advocate for my female students. It still doesn't erase the male privilege that I'm bringing into that affinity group."

But sometimes students need a group for which there is no appropriate adult leader. In that case, ask the students what they want to do. At Rumsey's school, Muslim students showed strong interest in having an affinity group for a couple of years, but no adults in the school identified as Muslim. She asked the students if they wanted to look for someone from the wider community or if they wanted her to lead it; they were comfortable with her and chose her.

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Affinity groups offer a platform for voices often relegated to the margins.

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creating affinity groups in schools

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"I hate it when we talk about Martin Luther King and everybody stares at me," a second grader said.

These words weren't shared in a classroom. The girl who experienced this emotion revealed her feelings to students who knew firsthand what it meant to be a child of color in a predominantly white school. In the safe zone of her affinity group, she shed light on a classroom dynamic that might otherwise have remained hidden.

Even in the most progressive independent schools, issues of race often lie just below the surface of children's daily experiences. In the relative security of an affinity group, these realities come to life. Affinity groups are places where students build connections and process "ouch" moments from their classes. Children talk about the isolation they sometimes feel. The relationships students gain through race-based affinity groups enable them to feel less alone with their emotions and help them build a stronger sense of self. At the same time, faculty facilitators gain valuable insights into ways their school's curriculum and culture can support children on the road to identity development.

So, why isn't every school clamoring to promote affinity groups?
When Do Children See Race?
I (Kimberly) am the director of diversity and multicultural practice at the Gordon School (Rhode Island). One early May morning, a faculty member of color walked into my office. Her son, who happens to be one of the few African-American children in his kindergarten class, was told by a classmate that he wasn't invited to a party because he is brown.

The boy's teacher handled the interaction between the children with gentleness and care, using it as a learning opportunity for both students. Nonetheless, the encounter stirred worries for the boy's mother, stemming from her own childhood and school memories attached to race. She had hoped her son would not have to hear those words of rejection so early in his school journey, if at all.

I remember the stinging feeling of such an event. When my own daughter was in third grade at another independent school, she shared how it felt to hear another classmate say, "I hope I can dance with a normal white boy," as her class was preparing for a colonial day re-enactment.

These are not isolated events.

Many adults believe that children see race only when it is pointed out. But as Beverly Daniel Tatum makes clear in her book,Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, children as young as three years old notice physical differences such as skin color, hair texture, and the shape of facial features. The research shows that, even in infancy, children demonstrate in-group preference. Consider the experiment conducted by Rebecca Bigler at the University of Texas.¹ Bigler randomly gave four- and five-year-old children red or blue T-shirts. She observed them while they played with each other freely at recess. Afterwards, when she asked children in red T-shirts, "How many reds are nice?" they said, "All." When children in red T-shirts were asked how many students in blue T-shirts are nice, they said only "some" are nice, but other blues are dumb or mean. Bigler noted that children "form these preferences on their own and naturally categorize everything, and the attribute they rely on is that which is the most clearly visible."

The physical features that children see - such as eye shape, skin color, and hair texture - are connected to our society's description of race. In their book, Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards describe this physical recognition as children's first encounter with racial differences. They conclude that racial identity is "being shaped from the outside and constructed inside, meaning that children struggle to understand the connection between their external experiences and their internal feelings and reactions they have to observed differences." The authors describe four interacting factors that affect children's racial understanding: the larger society in which they live, their families and other significant people, their individual life experiences, and their stage of cognitive development.

A longitudinal study entitled "Race and Sex as Factors in Children's Classroom Friendship Choices" further supports this notion of preferences.² A friendship nomination questionnaire was given to 80 boys and 65 girls in grades one through four and six. The results showed that race played a significant role (though less pervasive than gender) in children's friendship choices, particularly when considering same-sex friendships.
Identity and Success in the Independent School
How does current research inform us about the experiences of children of color in schools where the dominant racial culture is white? A 2003 study by Edith Arrington, Diane Hall, and Howard Stevenson examined the variables that lead to success for African-American students in independent schools. ³ Of the students interviewed, 75 percent reported making a special effort to fit into their school communities, 82 percent reported that they had negative school experiences, and 40 percent did not believe the school treated all students the same. The authors concluded that, "for black students, success is best defined by a strong sense of connection to the school community; a positive sense of self across contexts, but especially in the school; social and emotional health; and a racial identity that would serve as a resource as they develop, but particularly when students encounter racism."

AnotherIndependent School article by Michael Thompson and Kathy Schultz (2003), focusing on the "Psychological Experiences of Students of Color in Independent Schools," highlights the fact that students of color, because they are in predominantly white schools, often experience intense social loneliness.

InCan We Talk About Race?, Beverly Daniel Tatum writes that it is essential for schools to actively address the "continuing significance of race and racial identity in ways that empower and motivate students to transcend the legacy of racism in our society." She defines the ABCs of creating and maintaining an inclusive learning environment: A is for affirming identity; B is for building community; and C is for cultivating leadership. In this article, we emphasize "affirming identity" because we believe that one's racial identity - reflected in the curriculum, faculty and staff, and/or classmates - helps to avoid what Tatum describes as "invisibility or marginality that can undermine student success."
Facing the Tough Questions
The research is there. The need is there. So why do many schools hesitate to establish affinity groups? It's mostly a matter of institutional will - and a willingness to take on critics and skeptics.

For any independent school that makes an effort to establish affinity groups - whether your school is deeply invested in multicultural education or just starting to examine the possibilities for your institution - you are bound to encounter resistance. At the Gordon School, which earned the Leading Edge award from the National Association of Independent Schools in 2004 for its work in equity and justice, one board member anticipated the response from the community when learning of the need for affinity groups. She knew it would be difficult for all school constituents "to come to the understanding that children of color can still be hurt in our school, even after we have done what feels like so much incredible work on diversity and multicultural practice."

Introduce affinity groups and, on cue, some concerned parent will say, "I can't believe you're promoting segregation at our school, in this decade, in this post-racialized country. For goodness sake, we have a black president!"

You may even be accused of segregation or reverse racism. "My child tells me she wants to participate," says a parent. "She thinks it's not fair because white kids can't join. My white student is being denied this opportunity."

Undoubtedly, some of the most complex questions about affinity groups will be presented to you in the hallway or at pick up time. Sixty seconds, surrounded by other students or parents, simply isn't enough time, nor is it the place, to consider these issues thoughtfully. However, this is a good opportunity to tell the parent that it is normal for a young child to question race in this manner, and to commend the parent for having a dialogue about race with his or her child. The latter point is important because too many in our culture avoid the topic, as if they believe it's incendiary.

You can validate parents' concerns by confirming that, yes, sometimes things do feel unfair, especially in the eyes of a seven-year-old. Make a plan with the parent to continue the conversation with you when everybody has more time to talk. Get the voices of dissension through the door, because if you don't, those voices will go underground and undermine your efforts to create affinity groups.

Building relationships with skeptics is an essential step in the process of creating affinity groups. A bit of listening and friendly discussion goes a long way. If you can help parents understand racial identity development and clearly express the goals of your affinity groups, you may in fact create newly empowered allies.

How do you define racial identity development? Tatum describes it as "the process of defining for oneself the personal significance and social meaning of belonging to a particular racial group." Children internalize aspects of racial identity from the adults and peers around them. For students of color in predominately white independent schools, resisting negative stereotypes and affirming carefully considered definitions of themselves are critical to counterbalance the limited number of role models who mirror them racially.

Over time, in our experience, more members of the school community will come to understand that well-facilitated, racial affinity groups are gatherings that facilitate positive identity exploration, where people can pose questions and process issues. As a learning base, affinity groups offer affirmation of identity, empowerment of the individual, and empowerment of the group within the learning community - all things worth fighting for.
Planting the Seeds of Change
Nearly a decade ago, Gordon School developed a Strategic Plan for Racial Diversity and committed itself to multicultural and anti-bias education. Two adult race-based affinity groups developed at this time: Parents of Students of Color (POSOC) and Faculty and Staff of Color. POSOC began meeting in the evening, with childcare provided. The informal get-togethers in the childcare area became the first school-supported opportunity where children of color from nursery to eighth grades could gather - even though the primary meeting was for adults. Children who participated began asking their families when the next POSOC night would be and demanding to go to childcare "so they can be with their friends." The desire for students of color to gather and play in a majority experience did not go unnoticed.

In 2004, the school's diversity committee created a task force to research student affinity groups in school settings. Committee members visited exemplary elementary school affinity group programs at Shady Hill School (Massachusetts), Nashoba Brooks School (Massachusetts), and The Orchard School (Indiana), as well as programs located at independent secondary schools and colleges. At the same time, Gordon also embarked on its first Racial Climate Assessment - "racial climate" deﬁned as the current perceptions, attitudes, and expectations that inform the educational experience of various racial/ethnic groups at an institution.

The assessment included data from division directors and middle school students. Broadly, perceptions of the students' needs and experiences were as follows:

* Students live in two worlds, both of which are critical of them.

* Students of color continue to sit alone within some classrooms.

* Middle school students were asking for affinity group meetings.

* Students of color felt an affinity with each other already.

* On their own initiative, students of color sought out faculty of color for support.

* The curriculum was driving some racially linked feelings.

* Students of color reported feeling socially lonely, isolated, and devalued.

* Race was used as one element in creating classroom groupings and cross-grade "buddy" pairs.

In 2006, based on these findings, Gordon created Common Ground, a race-based affinity group for the lower school (grades one to four). The task force decided to start with lower school students because the research reveals that it could be difficult starting affinity groups in middle school, especially an affinity group that can point directly to difference. Developmentally, middle school students feel the pressure to "blend in," and middle school programs in other schools found it a challenge to recruit students based on this fact.

Research indicates that starting a program in the younger grades can alleviate some of this peer pressure while providing the opportunity for students to practice discussions about race. The hope is that, when they reach middle school, the students who have participated in an affinity group in elementary school will feel more empowered and positively informed about their racial identity.

Common Ground met for one hour, once a week, after school, for eight sessions a season. It was a free and voluntary program for families of color. The school decided it would not be appropriate to charge for a program that exists because the greater institution was, in effect, broken.

Although participants included children of various races and ethnicities, and they belonged to several different social circles, they found commonality when they discussed their experiences as minorities in the school. During the first few years, nearly 50 percent of eligible families participated.
Learning from Experience
While working as a Spanish teacher at an independent school in the early 1990s, Zenaida Muslin observed a peculiar phenomenon. Her school would admit intellectually talented students of color, but by the end of the school year, academically, they would fall to the bottom of their classes. She concluded that her school was not prepared to support students who are linguistically, racially, and socioeconomically different from the majority. This realization inspired her first effort to create affinity groups for students of color.

Can a White Teacher Facilitate an Affinity Group of Color?

When Gordon School launched its Common Ground affinity group, there were no teachers of color in the lower school, due to maternity leaves. This presented a dilemma. Could a white teacher facilitate an affinity group for students of color?

After some deliberation, I volunteered to co-lead the affinity group with a fifth grade faculty member of color. My logic was simple: I didn't think that all diversity work should be on the backs of faculty of color, and I thought it would be beneficial for students in Common Ground to have a white adult ally they could identify with.

Like other affinity group facilitators, I participated in ongoing identity development. I also had some experience leading a white affinity group among interested faculty in my school. I engaged in dialogue and activity on numerous occasions at the White Privilege Conference and took part in a weeklong dialogue at the Social Justice Training Institute.

Six years later, I'm still at it. Common Ground now serves over 70 percent of Gordon's students of color, who comprise approximately 30 percent of the student body. The program is facilitated by four women - one who is white and two who are faculty members of color.

White teachers who are thinking about leading race-based affinity groups in their schools need to think deeply and ask themselves some difficult questions, such as:

* What do I understand about my racial identity as a white teacher/person?
* How do I feel about issues of race as they relate to children's school experiences?
* What issues are unresolved around my racial identity?
* How does my racial identity affect the way I relate to my students and colleagues within and outside of my school community?
* How do I help children of color find their voices to express their school experiences?

There is no perfect pathway or map to arrive at the answers to these questions, but it is important that we engage in conversation and collaborate with colleagues, administrators, parents, and board members to think about ways to address, affirm, and support all students around racial identity development. - Julie Parsons

In 2000, Muslin moved to the Bank Street School for Children (New York), where she serves as diversity coordinator. Here, she founded lower school race-based affinity groups that start in first grade and meet once a month for 45 minutes, facilitated by two teachers of color. At the same time that students of color work in their affinity groups, white children also discuss issues of race and identity. A follow-up lesson for the full class takes place during the same week of the affinity group meeting, allowing for cross-racial dialogue. The majority of students of color participate in the affinity groups, which encompass 70 to 80 percent of their student-of-color population.

Muslin describes experiencing "push back" from a handful of parents - primarily white parents, but also from those who have children of color, and from a smaller number of parents of color - but she also notes the value of the program.

"Our families need to be more forward thinking," says Muslin, "and realize that race continues to be an issue in the 21st century and is a part of our human condition - and that our children need to understand the importance of this fact."

Several schools have been doing this work for 10 years or more with clear success. Randolph Carter, a diversity consultant and director of the Eastern Educational Resource Collaborative, started a lower school affinity group at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School (Virginia) in 1999. Carter's group initially started in kindergarten, but he soon felt that second grade was a better starting point, as children of this age could understand the purpose of the group. The program ran from September until May during the lunch period, when he met with students by grade, once weekly. Eventually, the groups morphed into what he described as "multiracial groups," as students were allowed to bring friends. Carter recognized the need for white children to engage in dialogue about race. He emphasizes, however, that racial affinity groups alone are no substitute for the broad institutional change that needs to take place in schools.

Even after 10 years of diversity and inclusion work at their schools, Elizabeth Denevi of Georgetown Day School (Washington) and Sandra Chapman of the Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School (New York) indicate that they still experience pushback from some parents around the issue of race-based affinity groups, but they also see the clear value for students.

Chapman encourages parents and colleagues to recognize that the white members of their community already spend much of their time surrounded by other white people. "For families of color, the affinity group experience can be profound," says Chapman. "It creates that safe space inside the school building."

Both Chapman's and Denevi's schools begin affinity work in lower school with informal meetings of children while their parents participate in parents of color meetings. More formal affinity groups for children begin in fifth grade.

Schools considering affinity groups can explore approaches taken by schools in various stages of race-based affinity work by visiting the websites of Shady Hill School (Massachusetts), Friends School in Baltimore (Maryland), The Hamlin School (California), The Village Community School (New York), and The Orchard School (Indiana). Even better, see if you can visit these schools to observe the positive impact of affinity groups on the entire school community.
Where to Begin
Schools interested in launching affinity groups for elementary age students of color can draw from the experiences of those who have been traveling this path now for several years. Although every school may bring unique challenges to the table, this short list of goals can guide educators in their program development.

* Conduct a Racial Climate Assessment to obtain useful data about students' school experiences.

* Facilitate positive identity exploration, self-awareness, pride, and self-esteem through books, games, discussion, and structured play activities that connect students to each other.

* Provide students with the opportunity to discuss topics of race, identity, and diversity in a safe space that will enable students of color to develop their voice.

* Encourage and develop leadership skills.

* Develop accurate language and vocabulary to describe themselves and others.

* Increase the school's ability to recruit and retain families and teachers of color.

* The purpose of the affinity group is to provide a majority experience for students regularly who are in the minority at school.

At Gordon, we have also learned to be flexible with regard to each student's needs and the group's desires. We want Common Ground to stay dynamic and to be fun. Ours is essentially a play-based program. Our third and fourth grade students receive more formalized programming around race and identity.

Some schools choose to focus on a theme for each season. Fall can be a time for building a sense of group identity and community. Winter weather makes a good time for projects such as scrapbooks, dance, and cooking that provide opportunity for more in-depth identity work. Spring is a good time to focus on closure, on celebrating what you've learned.

Every group creates its own traditions, whether it's celebrating the graduation of our fourth graders into middle school or sharing our goodbyes to our friends moving into new schools. Many resources exist to help facilitators with social and emotional learning activities, including Open Circle (www.open-circle.org); Tribes Learning Community (www.tribes.com), the Roots and Wings Foundation (www.rootsandwingsnj.org), and various education and diversity-related websites.

Past participants are another valuable resource. These middle school mentors can have a profound effect on the developing identity of an elementary school child.
Supporting Adults
As we worked to establish our lower school affinity group at Gordon, we had board approval, and also met with lower school faculty to educate them about the nature of the affinity group structure. We encouraged faculty to connect with the facilitators about the experiences of students of color in the classroom. In addition, we shared strategies with teachers that aid in addressing parents' concerns and questions about the purpose of the program. We have since learned that it is not a one-shot deal, but that we need to be continuously engaged with school personnel about how to talk about common ground with students and parents. Children will have developmentally appropriate questions and teachers need to respond accordingly. In 2008, Gordon School provided a forum for the school community to learn about Common Ground and voice questions. Voices of dissension were welcomed. In Spring 2012, we will be having a panel discussion about the value of affinity-group programming in elementary school.
Building a Common Language
First graders may not fully understand why they join an affinity group. By third or fourth grade, however, students often can articulate what the affinity group means to them and why it's important.

This confidence becomes especially important when they feel scrutinized by other students who want to know what they're "doing in there." Affinity groups help to reduce the pressure on these children by giving both students and adults in the school community a common language in which to discuss not only the program, but also larger issues of race and diversity. Affinity groups are a present-day Band-Aid for the conditions and experiences children of color are having in predominately white affluent schools. In the larger context, schools must be prepared to examine systemic changes in their institutions to provide a more equitable space for all students. All students - not just students of color - must be engaged in examining and clearly understanding the multiple facets of identity.

Eventually, "positive racial identity development" may become a standard element in the school lexicon, fitting seamlessly along terms like "developmentally appropriate" or "academically rigorous."
Notes
1. Bigler, Rebecca, 2009. "See Baby Discriminate," Newsweek, September 2009.

2. Graham, James A., Robert Cohen, Susan M. Zbikowski, and Mary E. Secrist, 1998. "A Longitudinal Investigation of Race and Sex as Factors in Children's Classroom Friendship Choices,"Child Study Journal, v28, n4, 1998.

3. Arrington, Edith G., Diane M. Hall, Howard C. Stevenson, 2003. "The Success of African-American Students in Independent Schools,"Independent School, Summer 2003.

Independent Ideas Blog

Instructional Coaching: 5 Principles for a Successful Practice

Georgetown Day School (DC) shares its program and what the team has learned along the way.
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"I hate it when we talk about Martin Luther King and everybody stares at me," a second grader said. These words weren't shared in a classroom. The girl who experienced this emotion revealed her feelings to students who knew firsthand what it meant to be a child of color in a predominantly white school.

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Why they don't last in schools.

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Photo by Prasant Nukalapati

Why do so many Students of Color (SOC) affinity groups* at the K-12 and college levels struggle once they are started? And why are so many not very impactful in creating real change in the lives of the students that they aim to support?

I would argue that despite the best of intentions many SoC affinity groups struggle to sustain themselves and be impactful because they:

1. Do not have enough, explicit, intentional support from the school leadership from the get go.

When school administrators "green light" affinity groups they rarely lay the necessary groundwork for the creation of such a group in the community. Students of Color affinity groups hit a nerve in many majority White school cultures and the backlash that occurs whether it be in classrooms, assemblies, school newspapers, or parents council meetings leaves many SoC feeling vulnerable. This feeling of being in the center of a contentious debate prevents many SoC from continuing their involvement in the group; this feeling is often compounded by a worry about whether the affinity group idea itself has the long-term support of school leadership. It needs to be the school's responsibility to plan ahead for potential fallout in their communities rather than the students' responsibility. One way that schools can be proactive about doing this is to send a letter home to all families, before the affinity group starts meeting, clearly articulating the school's reason for supporting affinity groups. The school leadership team can outline their rationale for having affinity groups, they can outline their intentions for these spaces, and they can outline how affinity groups will be supported with school resources.

School leadership teams that offer their clear support of affinity groups are better positioned to ensure that their often most marginalized students feel safe in participating in these groups. Clear support also sends the message that the school leadership is committed to the long-term viability of such groups.

2. Lack clear goals.

There is inherent value in simply having a space where SoC can come and see other students who look like them and discuss and share issues and experiences that are important to them. But nowadays students are bombarded with a myriad of options for school-based activities. Students are tactical shoppers in terms of how they spend their time. If they are not clear what they are getting out of their time together beyond a feeling of belonging or they are not clear what the end result of their participation is, their attention justifiable wanders to other activities. Are the student leaders and faculty sponsors clear at the start of the year about what their group goals for the year are? In the same way that good educators "plan backwards" with specific outcomes in mind, student leaders of affinity groups (and the adults that support them) can do the same. This enables such groups to set an agenda with an intentional vision rather than simply relying on reacting to incidents and events that happen in the community.

What are some frameworks for goals? Students of Color affinity groups offer an excellent opportunity to develop Leaders of Color in school communities where the majority of leadership positions may often be held by White peers. What activities will the group engage in to promote leadership development - particularly when high schools, colleges, grad schools and employers are looking for young people with leadership experience? Affinity groups also offer the chance for SoC to dig deeper into their own identities. What activities can challenge students to examine critical issues and help them better understand their place in world? Helping student leaders create clear goals and structures for checking their progress in meeting these goals is an important assist that faculty advisors can provide.

3. Lack connection to the wider school community

Affinity groups by their nature are separate spaces. But too often we allow them to remain spaces that are cut off from the wider school community. Change cannot happen in a vacuum. If affinity groups do not have substantive interactions with the larger community, there is always the risk that the issues that create the need for affinity groups go un-surfaced and unaddressed in the larger community. Additionally, lack of connection to the wider community can reinforce the feeling of isolation that many SoC feel at their schools.

Students of Color groups rarely participate in larger school culture besides being asked to create the yearly Dr. MLK Jr. assembly every January. What if faculty advisors encouraged their SoC affinity group members to meet regularly with school leadership, student government leadership, leadership of the school newspaper etc. to articulate ways that SoC could be better supported and empowered at the school? Can faculty advisors help SoC groups commandeer a bulletin board in the school for the whole year and use it to highlight issues that come up in their meetings? Can advisors help their group plan additional joint meetings with the school diversity club, or other equity related groups?

In addition to these three primary challenges, it is worth noting a few other challenges that often come up for affinity groups. These include lack of adequate funding to provide the support that is needed and ongoing institutional resistance to structural change that would, in reality, make affinity groups redundant. Also, many SoC today conceive of their identities in ways that are different from earlier generations and may not view affinity groups as a necessity even as they continue to struggle with their feelings of "Otherness." These issues are legitimate but as is the case with the challenges outlined above, there are ways to address them and better ensure that affinity groups are sustainable and impactful.

What challenges have SoC affinity groups experienced in your community around the issue of sustainability and impact? How have they been addressed? What does the SoC affinity group at your school do well?
*"Diversity groups" or "cultural appreciation groups" are groups on campuses where typically the membership is open to all and the focus is on school wide diversity issues or raising awareness about cultures other than White American culture. Affinity groups on the other hand are designed to be a closed "safe spaces" where all the participants share a common identity around their membership in a racial minority group and focus on supporting each other through discussion of the common challenges that many face at their schools.

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3 Reasons Why Students of Color Affinity Groups Struggle to Be Sustainable and Impactful...and What...

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Why do so many Students of Color (SOC) affinity groups* at the K-12 and college levels struggle once they are started? And why are so many not very impactful in creating real change in the lives of the students that they aim to support?

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Independent School Study

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At a time when politics and race continue to divide the country, conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion have taken on even greater importance at home and in our schools. Independent schools in particular have been wrestling with how to have such conversations as they relate to the makeup of their school communities and to the sense of belonging that students of color feel. Some schools have made progress in inclusion efforts for students with marginalized identities, but so many schools continue to face real challenges in creating school environments where all students feel at home.

There were 168,254 students of color enrolled in NAIS member schools in the 2018-2019 school year, according toNAIS's Data and Analysis for School Leadership. And as the latest US Census data continue to indicate, the US population is becoming more diverse. Given this, it's even more important that students feel accepted in their schools based on their race and ethnicity and also that their intersectional identities-gender, class, age, ability, sexual orientation, and religion-are fully acknowledged and embraced. The classroom should serve as a safe space for children and adolescents to express themselves, their heritage, and their stories without experiencing negative social, academic, or institutional stigmas.

Through our work-Jacobs' work over the past nine years and Jacobs' and Weber's collaborative work over the past two years at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education-along with the work of other academics in the diversity and education field, we've started to address the issue of inclusion through research, with a specific focus on the experiences of black girls in independent schools. Because of the intersectional nature of black girls' identities, we believe that a particular focus on their academic, social, and emotional experiences within the context of independent schools is an important contribution to the ongoing conversation about how independent schools can become more inclusive and equitable spaces.
Uncovering Experiences
In 2016, Jacobs wrote "Developing the 'Oppositional Gaze': Using Critical Media Pedagogy and Black Feminist Thought to Promote Black Girls' Identity Development," an article in The Journal of Negro Education, which explored how teachers often silence black girls in the classroom and how black girls choose to resist the expectation that they fulfill particular racialized gender norms of being quiet and unquestioningly follow the rules. Research conducted in 2015 at the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) and the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies, which Jacobs cites in her article, shows that when black girls disrupt this norm by speaking out or asserting their needs in class, disciplinary consequences often follow. In response to the AAPF report, researchers have started to develop theoretical frameworks for how to create classroom environments in which black girls can thrive.

Ruth Nicole Brown, a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, developed a framework highlighting the creative potential of black girlhood. A Framework for Black Girlhood centers on the notion that black girlhood should be celebrated through the memories and experiences of being young, black, and female and presents a place for sowing the seeds of activism. Brown suggests that black girls' personal stories should be heard, that their lived experiences should be valued, and that schools can and should create spaces for this storytelling.

How can independent schools create safe spaces in which all students of color can authentically share the representations of who they are in a way that can be celebrated? As a way to explore this question, Jacobs began examining the experiences of middle school black girls in independent schools as part of a pilot study in 2012. The girls shared how important it was to them to have an affinity space-with a trusted adult-where they could share their successes as well as their challenges in school. Another finding: They viewed this space as one for action, where they could strategically discuss how to make their needs known to the broader school community.

Building on these two findings, Jacobs conducted a broader study in 2015-2016. She created black girl affinity group spaces where she listened to the stories of black girls in grades nine to 12 who were students at two different independent schools in the mid-Atlantic region. On a weekly basis during lunch or an activity period, Jacobs met with 25 black girls: About one-third of the girls were "lifers," having attended their school since pre-K or kindergarten; one-third of the girls entered in middle school; and one-third entered in ninth grade. She also interviewed the girls one on one about their particular journey through their schools. Though the girls had been members of their school communities for different lengths of time, their experiences were strikingly similar. Surprisingly, the differences in the girls' experiences between being a black girl who attended a coed school versus an all-girls school were minimal. At the core of the research was the question, "what is it like to be a black girl in your school?"
What It's Like
From the weekly discussion group meetings and the one-on-one interviews with the girls, three key points emerged that provided a snapshot of black girls' experiences in their independent schools as well as the methods through which schools can support them.

Examining identity. For black girls in independent schools, the pressure to fit in to an elite predominantly white space also requires a particular navigation of one's identity and the consistent reinforcement of self-definition in the face of being defined by others' norms and expectations. Identity mapping can lead to opportunities for peers to see ways they are similar and different and to feel a sense of community. Some girls shared physical characteristics, interests, and personality traits. Others focused on who they were in relation to others-daughters, sisters, friends, and teammates.

Jacobs then brought in different forms of media for the girls to reflect on and analyze, such as the mini-documentaryA Girl Like Me, in which a 16-year-old girl of color conducts interviews with other teenage girls of color about their personal experiences with standards of beauty, friendships, and relationships through the lenses of race and gender. In response to the video, the girls discussed how they appreciated learning about others with experiences similar to their own and the importance of a girl their own age who was creating media to tell her story.

Awareness and storytelling. In the hectic schedule of school life, the opportunity for students to pause and reflect on their experiences within their school, particularly across grade levels, is limited. One girl suggested the weekly meetings were a place for mental and emotional release and affirmation. The level of comfort and support in the group contributed to the girls' growing sense of agency, and they began to bring in their own forms of media-videos about dating, spoken word poetry, and news clips about current events. They became each other's teachers, educating one another on how they navigated their school spaces as well as the broader society as black girls.

The girls shared experiences in which they felt they'd been viewed by white students and teachers as only being capable in athletics and not in academics, when they noticed that they were treated differently than their white peers in cases of discipline, and the fact that often learning about black people in the curriculum was limited to discussions of American slavery or the civil rights movement.

The need for safe spaces for critique and action. One group of girls led a professional development session for a group of teachers at their school titled "A Day in the Life." It included examples of daily microaggressions the girls had experienced and a list of concrete actions for how the teachers could be allies to black female students.

The girls saw the group as a place where they could lay their experiences on the table as data on where the work needed to be done to create change in their community and influence the school environment so that "the struggles that I go through now ... future black girls don't have to endure the same."
What's Next
As a follow-up to this study, Jacobs is currently conducting a study exploring the experiences of girls of color in all-girls schools. By conducting focus groups with adolescent girls of color, parents/caregivers, teachers, and administrators in four all-girls schools in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions of the US, Jacobs plans to further the conversation of how independent schools can continue to support the academic, social, and emotional needs of girls of color.

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Beyond Wellness: Building Resilience in Your Independent School Students

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Research Insights: Black Girls' Experiences in Independent Schools

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At a time when politics and race continue to divide the country, conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion have taken on even greater importance at home and in our schools. Independent schools in particular have been wrestling with how to have such conversations as they relate to the makeup of their school communities and to the sense of belonging that students of color feel.

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Young adults and women

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Mentorship and safe spaces should be prioritized by university administrations, not just the Black students who seek them out.

by Imani Brooks
When I fell into depression, questioning if I was strong enough for law school, it was virtual affinity groups that saved me. Five days after graduating from Emory University, I moved to Washington, D.C. in a full U-Haul complete with my dad and dog in tow. I was looking forward to the next chapter of my life and moved months before classes started in order to adjust to the new city.

I have navigated the last two years with the help of therapy, medication and self care and needed to proactively begin building a support system for matriculating into law school as a Black woman.

Finding black mentors was a natural coping mechanism. My undergraduate experience was largely defined by my work as president of the Black Student Alliance and as president of one of Black Greek Letter Organizations. I learned that being around Black students is a form of self care. But, I wasn't sure how that would look in "Zoom Law School." Student organizers at Emory University gave me hope that community amongst Black students is still possible.

I spoke with Ronald Poole II, a 2nd year student at Emory University who is a Comparative Literature and African American Studies double major. While Ronald does not like the term "affinity group" because it doesn't embrace the multiple ways to be Black within a group, he believes affinity groups should create a space for people with similar interests, backgrounds, and experiences to come together to care about each other.

RELATED: COVID-19 or not, Black folks are building virtual spaces of joy, intimacy and tenderness

During COVID-19, Ronald sees student groups as especially important in providing a space for Black people to endure, recreate, and redefine comfort. The virtual setting often emphasizes the disparities between students. Ronald's African American Studies class, taught by a Black professor, has two Black students, including himself. Remote learning means Black students must bring white students into their place of comfort.

The Coalition of Black Organizers and Clubs (CBOC) at Emory University was formed to build cohesion in the Black community, relying on themselves instead of other organizations. Modeling after Cornell Students for Black Lives, CBOC asks Emory to recognize the racial trauma Black students endure even in a virtual setting. CBOC sent a letter of demands to the administration, which has gained over 1500 signatures from organizations and individuals.

Collectives of Black students can be just as powerful at the graduate school level. 5% of lawyers are Black but I refuse to allow that percentage to scare me. I believe the best way to figure out how to persevere is to listen to the stories of those who come before us.

Daraja Carroll is a third year law student at WCL with an interest in civil rights as well as WCL Black Law Student Association (BLSA) President. Daraja aims to focus on advocacy, raising money and redistributing the wealth while leading BLSA this year. The organization had a successful virtual fundraiser where they raised $3,000 and tabled at the March on Washington on August 28.

RELATED: Is COVID-19 a crisis within a crisis for Black women?

During quarantine, Daraja asserts affinity groups are especially important due to COVID-19's disproportionate impact on the Black community. It is important to have a "home" at school during a time when families and childhood homes are changing. While WCL Black Law Student Association is actively adapting to virtual learning, Black students are not getting the attention they deserve from the university.

The disconnect between the administration and Black students is more evident during the pandemic and virtual setting. When racial tweets were uncovered from student leaders, the administration was slow to respond. It was painful for students to feel ignored in the context of the protests against racial injustices. While the protests were visible on social media, the administration relies solely on students bringing concerns directly to them. This can't happen if students don't feel safe in voicing their demands.

WCL BLSA is actively providing space for Black students to verbalize their needs. The executive board used Groupme to get general body members' opinions on the slow reaction of WCL to craft a letter to the top deans asking for a stronger standard of acceptable conduct for the entire WCl community. Now, the executive board meets with deans on a regular basis and have improved the ways racial bias incidents are reported.

Though I haven't stepped foot on campus yet, witnessing the advocacy of WCL BLSA on behalf of students solidified my confidence in feeling mentally prepared for virtual law school. If groups like CBOC and BLSA did not exist, Black students would be at a disadvantage during the pandemic on top of the disparate health impacts of COVID-19. Mentorship and safe spaces should be prioritized by university administrations, not just the students who seek them out. Creating a support system in academia is invaluable for Black students. This is even truer during a double pandemic.
As the product of a Black matriarchal household in rural Virginia, Imani Brooks is a traveler, human rights activist, and law student at American University Washington College of Law. She aims to shed light on hidden stories within the Black community with her freelance writing. Her work can be found with Teen Vogue, The Independent UK, MTV Founders, and Splinter News. You can follow Imani at @TheImaniB on Twitter.

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Virtual affinity groups are supporting Black students during a pandemic - The Black Youth Project

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Mentorship and safe spaces should be prioritized by university administrations, not just the Black students who seek them out. by Imani Brooks When I fell into depression, questioning if I was strong enough for law school, it was virtual affinity groups that saved me. Five days after graduating from Emory University, I moved to Washington, D.C.

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For students in PWI

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Affinity groups are vital lifelines for students of color within remote learning environments. These identity-based support groups are pivotal in providing a sense of belonging, which is essential to the emotional health and well-being of students who are racially underrepresented within their school community. And in the era of social distancing and virtual learning, the strong desire for interconnectedness has never been more palpable, which is why taking advantage of joining these groups has never been more important.

Affinity groups [are] especially significant to students of color attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), where the environment can be isolating, taxing, and mentally draining.

Affinity groups foster meaningful relationships while affirming and celebrating identity. They're especially significant to students of color attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), where the environment can be isolating, taxing, and mentally draining as a result of the racial fatigue of being the "only" or one of only a few to walk the halls or be seated in a classroom. And this can absolutely carry over to remote learning with things like video-chat classes, virtual group projects, etc. To counter these negative experiences, affinity spaces are a source of strength and community, where a tight-knit, family atmosphere may be cultivated, which uplifts and empowers the narratives and voices of its members.

In this time of remote learning, many BIPOC students (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) are utilizing affinity spaces to process tragic events that have recently surfaced in the headline news. For example, the disproportionate number of deaths of Black people from the coronavirus and the racial injustice evidenced in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have illuminated the need to discuss the assault on Black life. Black students are distressed and in fear over their psychological and physical safety, and, at the same time, balancing academic and social pressures while navigating online learning. All of this brings about new challenges and biases with which to contend.

The compounded stress from these events has made affinity spaces a necessity for unpacking and processing the grief, trauma, and loss students may be experiencing during this unprecedented time. Affinity groups equip students with the tools of courage, perseverance, and resilience in the face of microaggressions, stereotypes, racial bias, and the burden of representation endured by marginalized students in white-majority spaces. Affinity groups emphasize to students of color that they're not alone in their journey of self-discovery, a reminder that there is beauty, power, and unbridled joy in embracing one's identity.

Social and physical distancing may have transitioned affinity group meetings from in-person to virtual; however, the value and importance of these groups continues to be critical to the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion. These brave, safe spaces continue to provide a consistent foundation of connectivity and healing for students of color, a destination where they are seen, heard, and valued. Even in dark times, the magic of affinity groups resonates a deep sense of pride and solidarity for students of color that although they have to indefinitely remain apart, in remote learning, they are stronger together.

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Racial Affinity Groups Are a Lifeline For Students During Remote Learning - Use Them

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Affinity groups are vital lifelines for students of color within remote learning environments. These identity-based support groups are pivotal in providing a sense of belonging, which is essential to the emotional health and well-being of students who are racially underrepresented within their school community.

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Multiracial student attending a PWI

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As young adults, it's natural for us to hide parts of ourselves in an effort to experience a sense of belonging within a community. We adjust our language (terminology), our attitudes, beliefs, morals and more to dilute our own sense of authenticity. We choose to hide behind a facade to mask any differences we have in order to belong in a community.

Archer is a predominantly white institution (PWI) that encourages diversity and difference to an extent. My family and friends outside of Archer are predominantly Middle Eastern and are accustomed to a certain set of religious and societal standards. They are familiar with gender roles and a lack of diversity within a household. As a biracial student, who is half white and half Middle Eastern, I struggle with fully understanding my racial identity. I feel that when I am with my family and friends I have never been Middle Eastern enough, and with my school friends I have never been white enough.

I drag myself around in circles trying to squeeze myself into these boxes created by each community. At Archer, I am taught that traditional gender norms are a societal standard that we as women can change. In the community that I grew up in, I was taught that traditional gender roles were necessary and are the guidelines for a happy life. Each environment I immerse myself in, I am taught different ethical values. Throughout my journey in high school, I have made it my job to choose between the two communities and become a perfect model of said community.

But how can I be that perfect model when I don't have any guidelines? From my community at home to my community at Archer, I lack a space that gives me a chance to question my identity, feelings and thoughts. I lack role models that have experienced the same things that I have. I lack a community built on resilience. I lack a community where my thoughts, questions and feelings are recognized as normal.

Archer has held affinity spaces in the past for students and faculty members to process those feelings, wrestle with thought-provoking questions and even build a sense of resilience within a community. But what happens when you struggle to place yourself into one of these spaces? I grapple with the decision to attend the people of color (POC) meeting or the white anti-racist meeting. I have had the opportunity to attend both, and in each meeting, I feel out of place even though I benefit in different ways from each conversation.

In the white anti-racist space, we have talked about the difference between not being racist and being actively anti-racist. In the people of color space, we have talked about our experiences as POCs and what it's like being a part of a society that traditionally sees us as outsiders. Instead of learning all that I can from these spaces, my brain is in overdrive waiting for someone to comment on my presence. I am white-passing so when I attend POC meetings I am usually asked if I am in the right place. When I attend the white anti-racist affinity space I feel a lack of connection and feel myself losing the Middle Eastern identity.

According to the American Psychology Association, "as a result of the small population and lack of media representation, multiracial youth may feel that they do not have a multiracial community and lack role models to help them understand their mixed identity." As someone who is biracial but white-passing, my experiences can be incredibly different from other people of color.

Many schools around the United States have introduced a space solely for multiracial students, known as The Multiracial Student Union (MSU). MSU is a community that aims to foster awareness for students that identify as multiracial, biracial or having mixed-ethnicity.

As a school that welcomes diversity and encourages differences, I think that it is Archer's job, as a PWI, to create a space for mixed students to feel seen and heard, rather than just grouping them with other POCs. Multiracial students struggle to find a place at school or even at homes that are welcoming and supportive. It is your job, Archer, to create a space for students like me to feel comfortable.

On that note, I do recognize how Archer is making an effort. There was an email titled "Affinity Spaces This Friday" sent by Dean of Students Jenn Babin explaining a decision to create a new affinity space titled Asian Pacific-Islander/Middle Eastern/Multiracial Heritage. However, I was not fully satisfied with this. By creating the same space for POCs and multiracial students, you are invalidating both groups of people's experiences. POCs and multiracial people go about life very differently; a multiracial student can play into one part of their identity to gain an advantage whereas a POC generally has only one racial identity to rely on. By grouping these people together you create an environment where students may feel it is necessary to say something harsh to invalidate another person's experience because it is not the same as their own. Affinity spaces are supposed to be about similar experiences and welcoming different perspectives on those experiences. But how can you do that when you group two completely different groups together that don't share similar experiences?

Mixed-students of Archer: Do you feel the same way as I do? Do you feel out of place in our affinity spaces? Or do you feel welcomed and understood? As for other students who do not identify as biracial or multiracial, I think it is time for you to foster a community that allows bi/multiracial students to take ownership of their identities and to feel seen and heard in our community.

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Column: On multiracial students and belonging in affinity spaces

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As young adults, it's natural for us to hide parts of ourselves in an effort to experience a sense of belonging within a community. We adjust our language (terminology), our attitudes, beliefs, morals and more to dilute our own sense of authenticity. We choose to hide behind a facade to mask any differences we have...

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An educator shares her healing in affinity spaces.

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Each year, I attend and look forward to NAIS's People of Color Conference. It is the only time I sit in a room with other African American educators who also look to recharge. One year, an attendee shared with me that her experience at PoCC convinces her she is not crazy and keeps her from going insane. I feel like a member of a family and PoCC is the family reunion.

One of the many reasons I love PoCC so much is the affinity group experience. An affinity group is a group of people with common interests, background, and experience that come together to support each other. Affinity groups for people of color can be magical places in a historically elite and exclusive independent school system. Participants of both adult and student affinity groups often find it to be a place of encouragement and a way to increase their sense of belonging in their institution.

Brentwood School's family affinity group at a brunch for mothers of African American students. Photo credit: Brentwood School

Hurting Hearts
Before I found affinity groups, I struggled to breathe. For 15 years, my tank was empty. I was exhausted beyond measure. Being the only African American educator and administrator in my predominately white institution had almost worn me down completely. My heart hurt for the efforts I made to advocate for and protect all families, but specifically families of color that existed in this white, affluent, independent school world.

In my second year at this same institution, a brilliant and talented African American young lady decided to start an African American culture club. Her idea was to celebrate African American culture and educate others about it, regardless of their racial and ethnic heritage. When one of her classmates responded, "We should start a White culture club," I saw the strength disappear from her eyes.

This young woman battled in the same space I did. She shared in the same constant struggle to defend, justify, and give purpose to her existence as an African American on our campus. She wanted to tell her classmate that he was a card-carrying member of a white club all day, every day. That in each class his identity was so integral to the teaching and curriculum that he didn't even realize it. She wanted to ask how it felt for him to sit in the lap of privilege and make a comment that served as a dichotomy when the reality was that his comment was why she was initiating this club. She wanted to ask him when was the last time (knowing there would never be a time) he was alone in his identity or was asked to be the spokesperson for his entire race. When had he ever been invisible? Rather than risk losing the breath that was so hard to inhale, she cried. This pain was all too familiar. I, too, was out of oxygen and could not let this be my death.

A Magical Place to Relate
Right away, the African American Culture club became the largest student club on campus. It created a space where students in all stages of their identity development could belong. Black students and their allies addressed diversity topics in the school and globally. We talked about defying stereotypes, leaders and figures in Black history, and media headlines that affected us. When one student shared that he felt a heightened sense of surveillance on campus, another student could relate. Another student shared her frustration of people touching her hair and making ignorant assumptions - and yes, we could all relate. Students expressed how they were often called the name of another student of the same race by students, teachers, and administrators.

The affinity space was a place of affirmation and empowerment that we all so desperately needed. We acknowledged shared experiences in ways that were productive, valuable, and meaningful. It was a brave space that preserved our dignity as a people. It was a place where people of the same identity could share how they navigate the complexities of a PWIS (predominately white independent school), and it was no longer an ostracized experience.

Becoming a Change Agent
For the first time, I felt invited, welcomed, and included in an institution that pretended to represent the same moral and philosophical educational initiatives that supported all people. I knew I needed to help students stay alive in this institution so I continued to create the same space that kept me alive. I knew the time would come when I gave all I had to give and needed to align my own beliefs and experience in an institutionally supportive space.

One day, I read a job description forDirector of Equity and Inclusion in a different school that completely described me. The school called for an administrator who would speak to every constituent and ensure that the school was doing its best to envelop all members of the community, regardless of identity, so everyone could thrive. It was time to make a change. Now I'm in year two of being an effective change agent.
A Call to Schools
While developing and supporting affinity groups for my students, I've found that I've benefited just as much, and potentially more, than they have. Now I see the success of both student and parent affinity groups. Affinity groups allow us to support the humanity of others. It is the most inclusive effort we can make.

Most of our schools' missions include a component of excellence or achievement. We have non-discriminatory clauses in our policies and procedures. The best way to not discriminate is to value and support the spaces of those who are underrepresented in your population. Give them a place on your campus to exist freely - and to thrive. Be committed to achieving excellence in every area of your school's mission by recognizing that those whose identities lie in disadvantaged and oppressed groups are having a different experience.If you are uncomfortable or unable to understand the necessity of affinity groups, you probably have never needed one. However, if you are committed to providing an education that is truly excellent for all students in your institution, encourage and support the vital role affinity groups play toward this noble goal.

About The Blog

Independent Ideas explores the issues and trends that matter most in education in a storytelling format. It features a diversity of voices and perspectives.
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How Racial Affinity Groups Saved My Life

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Each year, I attend and look forward to NAIS's People of Color Conference. It is the only time I sit in a room with other African American educators who also look to recharge. One year, an attendee shared with me that her experience at PoCC convinces her she is not crazy and keeps her from going insane.

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short clip and commentary

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Katurah Ariel says she started drawing images of young African-American girls because she didn't see any when she was a child.

"When I was younger, I couldn't find paper dolls that were brown," Ariel says with a laugh. "So I made my own. And I did that as a six-year-old little girl."

She created over a thousand of those brown paper dolls and eventually turned that childhood passion into a very grown-up business.

"I always knew I wanted to create art, I just didn't know how to turn that into something profitable."

"My art is intentionally empowering. It deals with issues surrounding the black community and black women and girls specifically."

Working in her studio in Gahanna, Ohio, Ariel creates images for shirts, hand bags, notecards and more and then sells them at her online store. Many have playful images of young African-American girls. Others have slogans meant to inspire, like "Be Your Own Superhero."
"My art is intentionally empowering. It deals with issues surrounding the black community and black women and girls specifically."

Ariel's work has also been featured several times in "Essence" magazine. But not all of her creations are light-hearted. Many pieces show struggle and pain.

"I think showing both sides of the black experience is important," she said.

Ariel is working on a children's book that is meant to inspire and empower young girls of color.
Watch this next: How Oakland's turfers and ballet dancers found their groove This report originally appeared on PBS station WOSU's "Broad & High" show. Local Beat is an ongoing series on Art Beat that features arts and culture stories from PBS member stations around the nation.

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Empowering young girls of color with art that looks like them

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Katurah Ariel says she started drawing images of young African-American girls because she didn't see any when she was a child. "When I was younger, I couldn't find paper dolls that were brown," Ariel says with a laugh. "So I made my own. And I did that as a six-year-old little girl."

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kamala harris' rise sends message of hope to young girls of color  - cnnpolitics

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Kamala Harris' rise sends message of hope to young girls of color

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Kamala Harris' place as a Black and South Asian American woman on the Democratic ticket sends a message to young girls of color that she often projected when she was running her own presidential campaign: "I see you, I hear you."

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2016 article about women

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This column contains a correction.

Women of color will soon make up the majority of America's female population. Many of them are highly educated, and the group as a whole represents a powerful voting bloc and a growing portion of American spending power. Yet women of color are still widely underrepresented in corporate leadership and political office. Removing barriers for women of color to fully maximize their consumer, brain, and voting power is the only way to ensure that they become decision-makers and political and business leaders. Otherwise, traditional forms of power will remain in place, and representation will continue not to reflect changing demographics.

According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, there will be no clear racial or ethnic majority by 2044. The Asian population-whose growth is only outpaced by those identifying as two or more races-is projected to grow 143 percent by 2060. The Latino population is expected to grow 115 percent more than one-quarter of the total U.S. population. The African American population is projected to grow 63.6 percent by 2060 and will make up 17.9 percent of the total U.S. population.

The number of women of color in business does not reflect the group's spending power

In 2013, Latinos represented $1.2 trillion in spending power-a sum largely spent by women. According to a recent study, 86 percent of Latinas are the "primary shopper and decision maker in the household." Similar to Latinos, African Americans also spend more than $1 trillion annually, and African American women control more than 40 percent of that spending power. Despite businesses' bottom lines, however, the corporate landscape lacks an adequate number of women of color.

While there are many female leaders in corporate America-such as Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Inc., and Ursula Burns, chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation-women of color still represent a small share of corporate leadership. Cathy Hughes successfully beat the odds to own the largest African American broadcast company in the United States and became the first African American woman to head a publicly traded corporation. But the odds are stacked pretty high for women of color-not just because of a lack of access to opportunity but also because of the difficulty maneuvering within society's perception of what these women represent. According to the Center for Women Policy Studies, more than one-third of women of color believe that they must minimize their race or ethnicity to succeed in the workplace.

Lack of inclusion is bad business

Women of color represent approximately 37 percent of working-age women. But they make up less than 10 percent of positions for "first/mid-level officials and managers;" less than 5 percent of positions for "executive/senior-level officials and managers;" and less than 1 percent of CEOs of S&P 500 Companies. Additionally, women of color only hold approximately 3 percent of the board seats of Fortune 500 companies, and many of those women are double counted because they serve on multiple boards.

This lack of inclusion for women of color is bad business. Studies show that corporations with female CEOs outperform the stock market, and companies with female board members have higher profitability than those with no women on the board. There is also a correlation between higher levels of diversity and better financial performance. A study from McKinsey & Company showed that companies in the bottom quartile in terms of racial, ethnic, and/or gender diversity had a lower likelihood of posting above average returns than the average company examined. Companies in the top quartile of racial and ethnic diversity, meanwhile, were 35 percent more likely to post gains above their national industry median.

Despite the lack of women of color on corporate boards, there has been a significant increase in the number of women of color who own a business. Today, 1 in 3 women-owned businesses are owned by women of color. Black women are starting businesses at six times the national average. Between 1997 and 2015, Latina-owned businesses grew by 244 percent, and African American women-owned businesses grew by 322 percent. Women now own 30 percent of all businesses in the United States, and 14 percent of those are controlled by African American women-representing $52.6 billion in annual revenue. But these gains are not without barriers. Women of color have less access to capital, influential networks, and mentors.

Women of color are underrepresented in political leadership roles

Corporate America is not the only arena in which women of color are underrepresented. They are also largely absent from state legislatures, gubernatorial races, and U.S. Congress. Currently, members of Congress are 80 percent white and 80 percent male. The first woman of color was elected to Congress in 1964-Rep. Patsy Mink (D-HI), an Asian American woman. In 1968, Rep. Shirley Chisolm (D-NY) became the first African American woman elected to Congress. It was not until 1989 that the first Latina, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), was elected.

Today, there is only one woman of color in the U.S. Senate: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI). And the 36 women of color in the House make up approximately 8 percent of representatives overall. The numbers are just as bleak at the state level. Women of color comprise approximately 5 percent of all state legislators and less than 3 percent of all statewide elected executives.

These numbers are particularly troubling given the growing population of women of color and the rising electoral power that the group holds. In the past two presidential elections, black women turned out to vote at higher rates than any other group. Between 2000 and 2014, women of color represented more than 70 percent of the growth in women eligible to vote-mostly driven by Asian American women and Latinas. Between 2000 and 2014, in fact, Asian American women saw their eligible voter population grow by 107 percent. Latinas saw their eligible voter population rise more than 82 percent.

But women of color face significant obstacles when running for office. Overall, women are less likely to be recruited, are less likely to receive funding, and are subjected to unfair expectations. Racial and gender stereotypes exacerbate these issues for women of color. Further, many women of color represent less affluent areas and have less access to donor networks, leaving them in a crunch to raise money. For instance, in the Maryland Democratic primary election for U.S. Senate, Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) found it difficult to raise as much money as her male primary opponent, Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).

Additionally, research has found that women of color do not think of themselves as equally capable or as qualified to be leaders, even when they have achieved significant professional success. Nonetheless, two women of color are currently running for the California U.S. Senate seat in the general election: California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA). And research shows that when women run for elected office and win, they do just as good or better than their male counterparts in office.
Danyelle Solomon is the Director of Progress 2050 at the Center for American Progress. * Correction, December 19, 2017: This column has been corrected to clarify the number of women-owned businesses that are owned by women of color.
Policymakers and society must remove barriers to allow more women of color to run for office and gain corporate prominence. As women of color continue to grow as a significant power base both economically and politically, it is critical that they take their rightful seats in corporate America and political office.

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Maximizing the Power of Women of Color - Center for American Progress

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This column contains a correction. Women of color will soon make up the majority of America's female population. Many of them are highly educated, and the group as a whole represents a powerful voting bloc and a growing portion of American spending power. Yet women of color are still widely underrepresented in corporate leadership and political office.

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How many of the senior executives at your organization are black women? I know you had to stop and think about that question for a bit, didn't you? Countless studies have proven the disparities in the workplace regarding women of color. Although there are several movements committed to changing the narrative, the inequities persist across almost every industry.

In my last article, titled "Advocates for Women of Color: Taking It to the Next Level," I wrote about the support I've received from advocates throughout my career. Since then, I've spoken with several other successful women and even held a social forum and learned that many had experiences similar to mine. They all resonated with the challenges I've faced in the workplace and understand that both having allies and advocating for yourself is crucial to shattering the glass ceiling.

Dr. Freda Russell, a mentor, published the article "Successful Women Leaders: The Convergence of Personal and Professional Promotion." Therein, she shares several tactics and insight for organizations to implement gender-inclusive cultures, enforce sponsor programs and establish clear career pathways. She has designed research-based, innovative practices to develop leaders. Her advice for black women who must advocate for themselves includes being competent in business settings, exuding behaviors such as correcting offenses, being accountable, making expectations clear and being a great listener.

Dr. Eve Hall, colleague and president and CEO of the Milwaukee Urban League, has had several advocates throughout her career. Her staff consists of mostly women of color, and she has provided a space for candid conversations, room for mistakes and growth. Most leaders do not offer these sorely needed outlets. However, she understands that because black women have often been scarred on several levels, they tend to struggle with communicating in a nondefensive way. She is an excellent example of how leaders can better advocate for women of color and also how they should never lose sight of supporting others while advocating for themselves.

Below are additional helpful tactics. However, as assumed above, women of color have to put in extra effort to implement these tactics. Be prepared to encounter resistance and failure. Be resilient, educate and support others along the way. Most importantly, keep on moving. The story of Araminta Ross, a.k.a. Harriet Tubman, comes to mind, where she established a network of antislavery activists to support her missions. Harriet never gave up on her mission to free as many slaves as possible. And, she prepared the way for those who would follow in her footsteps.

Build A Support System. Connect with leaders and peers across your company and learn how they can help you. Establishing relationships was crucial in building my support network. Being an executive coach, I understand the importance of having coaches who can contribute to your development. In the past, I've also used executive coaches. I recently facilitated a social forum on this topic, and Symone Baldwin, a human resources professional, shared that she has found value in having mentors at different stages of her professional growth. I was so pleased to hear that she was building a support system quite early in her career journey.

Assess Your Strengths And Weaknesses. I've administered and personally taken 360-degree performance evaluations and StrengthsFinder assessments over the years. These evaluations were transformational and critical for my personal development. Kristin Hardy, a legal counsel, shared in the forum that she believes it is essential to get an objective assessment of your reputation at work to understand how you're perceived. I couldn't agree more, because when you know yourself, you can better advocate for yourself.

Pursue Your Options. Your employer may not be able to fulfill all your career goals, so pursue and understand your options. For example, I ran for a part-time government office while working full time and won! Ana Simpson, a director within her organization, shared that women should establish their own development plan, especially when their supervisor doesn't initiate it. I agree. I've only had a few supervisors who have created a plan for me. I've typically had to create my own and pursue it.

Learn The Business. Broaden your horizons and learn the business by navigating the corporate environment. Get involved and get noticed by joining employee resource groups or volunteering to lead corporate events. There are several ways to get involved. Find them.

Always Be Polished (ABP). Professionalism is everything. I always ensure that I dress appropriately for my audience. In my book, 10 Reasons Communication Brings Transformation: Unleash Your Greatness, I explain the need to know your audience and how to package your message and presence accordingly. Ann Landry, a chief human resources officer, shared with the forum to never be invisible. She says to create your own brand, so when you walk into a room, people notice you. This can be your appearance, smile or even your walk.

Have Crucial Conversations. I've taken many courses over the years about how to have crucial conversations. They were critical in shaping how I framed my discussions with stakeholders. Lakiesha Russell, a licensed professional counselor, shared that it's essential to have courageous conversations because often, we refrain from sharing our thoughts to spare the feelings of others. However, we must overcome fear and advocate for ourselves.

In the book Leveraging Intersectionality: Seeing and Not Seeing, Dr. Fay Cobb Payton believes that having leadership teams that represent a broad "intersection" of the world's population is critical to navigating the increasing diversity of the 21st-century workforce. I couldn't agree more since we must have more leaders who can become advocates. I resonate with her research around the intersectional perspectives regarding science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) inclusion. We both have similar backgrounds and understand that advocating for yourself in STEM fields can be tricky. Fay stresses that we must discern who we can trust and establish key relationships.

Several of these tactics have helped me throughout my career. However, note that competence is essential. I implore you to explore these tactics as you fulfill your life's purpose.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

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Council Post: How Women Of Color Can Advocate For Themselves In The Workplace

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How many of the senior executives at your organization are black women? I know you had to stop and think about that question for a bit, didn't you? Countless studies have proven the disparities in the workplace regarding women of color. Although there are several movements committed to changing the narrative, the inequities persist across almost every industry.

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About Darlene Reyes
Darlene Reyes is a first-generation Salvadoran-American and alumna from Northwestern University. After graduation, Darlene became an AmeriCorps member for City Year, Washington, D.C. (CYDC), which motivated her to pursue a career in education. She is a 2019 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Fellowship Aluma who was selected to conduct research on the Imposter Syndrome in Brazil within Higher Education. Her first language is Spanish and she has a high proficiency in Portuguese. Darlene is an advocate for educational equity passionate about holistic solutions for students of all backgrounds especially students with layered identities such as students of color, first-generation, and low socioeconomic backgrounds.
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Why student empowerment is important Learning opportunities for student work An overview of student sessions Discussing real-life scenarios What students are included in the affinity groups? Connect with Darlene
darlene@leadingequitycenter.com
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le 189: how to lead a social justice affinity group with darlene reyes

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‎Leading Equity: LE 189: How to Lead a Social Justice Affinity Group with Darlene Reyes on Apple Podcasts

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‎Learn more about the Advocacy Room About Darlene Reyes Darlene Reyes is a first-generation Salvadoran-American and alumna from Northwestern University. After graduation, Darlene became an AmeriCorps member for City Year, Washington, D.C. (CYDC), which motivated her to pursue a career in education....