Roots & Dreams: Can Historic Counterstories Transform How Young BIPOC View their Identity?

Young Black people and other young people of color demonstrate strength in myriads ways but often face low expectations stemming from narrow narratives and negative stereotypes signaling that their racial/ethnic background misaligns with their aspirations. These harmful signals and their impact are rarely discussed, and while the means to counteract their effects could improve the odds of young people of color, such means are even more rarely examined. Debrosse will examine whether counterstories rooted in historical facts and figures can support Black youth and other young people of color in challenging the negative stereotypes often used to depict them and thus contribute to transforming how they view their ethnic/racial identities. This research further examines whether such historic counterstories can produce downstream benefits for young Black people and other young people of color's ability to engage and pursue the futures they dream of, at both the individual and collective levels.