Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory Research

The devastation of COVID-19 and racial violence in 2020 suffocated the dream potential of Black families in North Carolina. That same year, Village of Wisdom (VOW) received rapid funding and leveraged this funding to support an inaugural group of five self-identified Black mothers, aka "mommas,...

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Main Authors: Dawn X Henderson, Courtney McLaughlin, Denise Page, Joy Spencer, Nadiah Porter, Regina Mays, Rabiatu Barrie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Specialty Publications 2023-12-01
Series:Journal of Participatory Research Methods
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.90172
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author Dawn X Henderson
Courtney McLaughlin
Denise Page
Joy Spencer
Nadiah Porter
Regina Mays
Rabiatu Barrie
author_facet Dawn X Henderson
Courtney McLaughlin
Denise Page
Joy Spencer
Nadiah Porter
Regina Mays
Rabiatu Barrie
author_sort Dawn X Henderson
collection DOAJ
description The devastation of COVID-19 and racial violence in 2020 suffocated the dream potential of Black families in North Carolina. That same year, Village of Wisdom (VOW) received rapid funding and leveraged this funding to support an inaugural group of five self-identified Black mothers, aka "mommas," to serve as Parent Researchers. These mommas, trained in participatory research, would embark upon a project to understand the needs of Black students, their parents, and teachers during COVID-19 and challenges associated with remote learning. The Dreams Assessment then emerged as a communal assessment to activate the dream potentials of the mommas, VOW, and spark a movement of amplifying Black parent wisdom as co-authors of research, co-designers, and creators. This paper uses storytelling to reflect on conducting the Dreams Assessment from the perspective of those Black mommas and the "other" mothers and centers communal weaving through shared discoveries and lessons learned. The authors offer the Dreams Assessment as a radical and reimagined participatory research approach from a community-driven and liberatory lens.
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spelling doaj-art-8462d7b29be848a2a133524cea84cc9a2025-08-20T03:07:14ZengSpecialty PublicationsJournal of Participatory Research Methods2688-02612023-12-014310.35844/001c.90172Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory ResearchDawn X HendersonCourtney McLaughlinDenise PageJoy SpencerNadiah PorterRegina MaysRabiatu BarrieThe devastation of COVID-19 and racial violence in 2020 suffocated the dream potential of Black families in North Carolina. That same year, Village of Wisdom (VOW) received rapid funding and leveraged this funding to support an inaugural group of five self-identified Black mothers, aka "mommas," to serve as Parent Researchers. These mommas, trained in participatory research, would embark upon a project to understand the needs of Black students, their parents, and teachers during COVID-19 and challenges associated with remote learning. The Dreams Assessment then emerged as a communal assessment to activate the dream potentials of the mommas, VOW, and spark a movement of amplifying Black parent wisdom as co-authors of research, co-designers, and creators. This paper uses storytelling to reflect on conducting the Dreams Assessment from the perspective of those Black mommas and the "other" mothers and centers communal weaving through shared discoveries and lessons learned. The authors offer the Dreams Assessment as a radical and reimagined participatory research approach from a community-driven and liberatory lens.https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.90172
spellingShingle Dawn X Henderson
Courtney McLaughlin
Denise Page
Joy Spencer
Nadiah Porter
Regina Mays
Rabiatu Barrie
Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory Research
Journal of Participatory Research Methods
title Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory Research
title_full Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory Research
title_fullStr Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory Research
title_full_unstemmed Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory Research
title_short Black Genius Flexin’: The Radical Potential of a Dreams Assessment in Participatory Research
title_sort black genius flexin the radical potential of a dreams assessment in participatory research
url https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.90172
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