Using a Sankofa Intervention to Influence Black Girls' Racial Identity Development and School-related Experiences

Thesis advisor: Janet E. HelmsAbstract Theorists contend that Black girls are mistreated in a manner consistent with racial and gender stereotypes, each of which is equally salient and negatively evaluated by society. Yet, very few empirical studies have investigated the question of how the girls are able to understand and integrate the racial and gender aspects of their identity and withstand the multiple forms of negativity (e.g. gender marginalization and racial oppression) to which they are exposed. The present study examined the socialization experiences of a sample of Black girls (N=14) enrolled in the 9th grade in a predominantly White high school setting. The girls participated in a semi-structured 25-week mentoring intervention intended to provide positive racial and gender socialization experiences. Pre-post interviews investigated the following themes: (a) the girls' perceptions of their experiences, (b) the relationship of these experiences to the girls' racial identity, and (c) the impact of the school-based intervention on Black girls' racial identity, self-concepts, and perceptions of their academic experiences. Participants completed self-report measures that assessed their racial identity, identification with school, and school-related experiences prior to and following the intervention, and a subgroup were interviewed before and after the intervention. "Regular" attendees (RA) were those who attended nearly all of the sessions, whereas "Non-regular" attendees (NRA) did not. Quantitative findings indicated that both RA and NRA participants reported an increase in positive perceptions of teachers. RAs also increased their level of school engagement and belief that their school experiences would have an impact on their future success, whereas NRAs did not. RAs' levels of Immersion racial identity (Black oriented) increased, whereas NRAs' Conformity (White oriented) increased. Qualitative findings suggested that participants who attended the intervention regularly developed a more sophisticated understanding of the ways that racial dynamics impacted their perceptions of school experiences. Methodological limitations, theoretical considerations, implications for future research and the development of race-gender focused educational interventions, and practice, are discussed.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009.Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education.Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology