Abstract
The study of race has been silenced in many areas of science including youth development research. We present this commentary in response to an invitation to address the impact of racism on the field of youth development for the Journal of Youth Development. Through oral history narratives, the paper synthesizes an antiracist agenda from the perspectives of 6 Black scholars: Tabbye Chavous, Michael Cunningham, Davido Dupree, Leoandra Onnie Rogers, Stephanie Rowley, and Robert Sellers. The narratives depict each scholar’s perspective on race research that informs youth-serving programs and the study of race in research of children and adolescents, particularly Black children. We selected scholars based on their commitment to supporting research that helps children of color thrive, and who have in-depth knowledge about racist ideologies and practices that have persisted since the inception of the science of youth development. Each scholar offered thoughtful critiques regarding racially biased measures and methodologies, the problematic use of deficit-oriented language, and the challenges that scholars of color encounter with advancing in the field. While the scholars expressed a consensus that the field has struggled to name racism in research and practice, they share hope in the complexity of future race research and practice that centers culture and context in youth development studies and programs.
Highlights
Research and theory on black children's identity formation is problem ridden (Spencer, 1982a)
The horrific events of 2020 including the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery among a plethora of other unpublicized killings of unarmed Black people, the protests that called for racial justice and the fight for Black lives in the United States and abroad, and the unequal health and educational disparities that were exacerbated between Black and Latino citizens and White Americans as a result of the spread of COVID-19 make this an unprecedented time period to highlight systemic issues that have been silenced in the history of youth development research
The study of race in youth development research is embarking on a burgeoning turn which calls for scholars to address racism in research design, conceptual framing, and the advancement of Black scholars (Adams-Wiggins & Taylor-García, 2020; Gabriel et al, 2020)
Summary
Research and theory on black children's identity formation is problem ridden (Spencer, 1982a). The study of race in youth development research is embarking on a burgeoning turn which calls for scholars to address racism in research design, conceptual framing, and the advancement of Black scholars (Adams-Wiggins & Taylor-García, 2020; Gabriel et al, 2020). We have written this commentary in response to an invitation to review the history of racism in the field of youth development with particular attention to shifts in conceptualizations of Black youth in research and practice over time. We invite youth-serving organizations and intermediaries to use these narratives to enhance culturally relevant and strengths-based approaches to support the experiences of racially minoritized children and adolescents in youth development programming and outcomes-based evaluation
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