At the Dark End of the Street by Danielle L. McGuire

The teachers and staff we interviewed are voices not previously cited in local or national news or would be identified readily as prominent or powerful leaders in the strike-they are everyday folks, like many of the co-authors, whose vision and critical labor made the strike happen. Overall, this study opens the possibility for deeper exploration of racial identity formation within critical social psychology.Īs a research team, we collected 40 oral history interviews with teachers and support professionals across the state who meaningfully participated in the 2018 Oklahoma education walkouts. This study highlights that for the Black diaspora, identity is informed by ancestry and family history, as well as by interactions with created community members. Results indicated that, while participants were deeply invested in learning more about their ancestral roots, there were concerns related to the test results and their meaning for individuals. Subsequent interviews highlighted how participants internalized the genetic test results and their participation within the group. This study used theater performance and modified life narrative interviews to understand how participation informed understandings of the self and others. Participants (n = 8) were enrolled in an arts-in-education program that uses theater to explore Black Americans’ identities and family histories.

In the context of this study, genetic ancestry tests are operationalized as a self-initiated encounter event. By using this perspective, identity processes become fluid and more expansive.

With the advent of new genealogical technology, it is imperative to include experiences that participants elect to experience (i.e., self-initiated or agentic encounter events). The racial identity literature has operationalized identity formation as progressive stage models, usually triggered by the experience of a negative race-based event.

At the Dark End of the Street by Danielle L. McGuire