Adolescents, Vol. 5, Pages 73: “It Was an Opportunity to Create Our Story in a Way in Which We Viewed It”: Arts-Based Truth-Telling by Black American Young Adult Alumni of the Child Welfare System

Adolescents doi: 10.3390/adolescents5040073

Authors:
Emma Sterrett-Hong
Lisa Merkel-Holguin
Nikki Thornton
Anita Barbee
Glenda Wright
Eltuan Dawson
Cameron Galloway
Chyna Angelini
Tia Humphrey

Truth-telling, a community intervention to increase reconciliation after systemic injustices, has been employed recently to increase public awareness of harms perpetuated by the child welfare industry in the U.S. Guided by participatory action research principles, we examined a public truth telling initiative over two years which was co-designed by a trans-experiential team of emerging adults with lived expertise and child welfare system professionals in Kentucky. The aims of the truth-telling events were to raise awareness about the experiences of Black American youth in the Kentucky child welfare system and generate ideas for improvements. We conducted a longitudinal collaborative autoethnography (n = 9, 2 time points) to examine our collective experience of developing and hosting the truth-telling circles and supporting activities. Key themes included the transformative impact on the alumni of receiving validation and acknowledgement, as well as forming social and professional connections. Some concerns related to timing of activities and group dynamics also were reported. In addition, the four lived expert truth-tellers engaged in a systematic consensus workgroup process to select a list of 10 priority practice and policy recommendations, such as child welfare system alumni being hired to provide emotion regulation and self-advocacy skills training directly to youth.

Source link

Emma Sterrett-Hong www.mdpi.com