Embedded Files
Positive Ethnic-Racial Identity Development as a Public Health Intervention
by Leah Hailu
ERI as a Cornerstone of Youth Development
ERI as a Cornerstone of Youth Development
Early interventions in high-risk youth communities not only engage children to work on their strengths, but also foster a healthy transition into adolescence and further into adulthood, by providing positive frameworks for children to reflect on their community and themselves. Past research points out the variety of beneficial outcomes seen when implemented at an early stage, such as reduced risky behaviors, higher goal achievement, and potentially minimizing the disparities present in our health systems (Catalano, 2004). With this, working on interventions that provide positive and affirmed Ethnic-Racial Identity (ERI) in Black, Indigenous children of color is commonly seen. Studies have shown that having a positive ERI serves as a protective factor towards aversive stressors in youth (Neblett, 2012). In order to ensure the wellbeing of future generations, the incorporation of positive ERI formation in the early education of today’s youths is critical (Catalano, 2004).
Example schematic of positive ERI serving as a protective factor against the impact of Discrimination on Mental Health (Yip, 2018)
How does ERI impact population health?
How does ERI impact population health?
Developing a positive ERI at a young age is not only beneficial for Black, Indigenous people of color (BIPOC), but is beneficial for white children as well. In a multicultural society like the United States, the perpetuation of institutionalized oppression on the intersectional basis of class and race will continue as long as we employ a notion of color blindness among our youth. As these younger generations develop, it has been found that childhood stressors such as discrimination, trauma in educational settings, and other environmental factors, may negatively impact adolescent development and lead to chronic illnesses and mental health issues in adulthood (Hagerman 2019). In many cases, the concept of resiliency can be an assumed and misleading protector factor because of how loosely the term is used to describe success stories in the United States. However, the damages allostatic load inflicts on a child's developing physiology still appears present in adulthood even if the child is not necessarily under the same circumstances. As a research supports, positive ERI can serve as this protective factor independent of context . If our education system continues to foster low ERI through colorblindness, society will continue to propagate the privileges of White children through their ability to escape racism at the expense of their BIPOC peers’ health and prosperity (Hagerman, 2019).
Who are we? Kupugani!
Who are we? Kupugani!
About the Camp
About the Camp
Kupugani Multicultural Camp is located just outside of the suburbs of Chicago in Leaf River, Illinois. It is the first and only Black owned summer camp in the United States, run by the lovely Kevin and Natasha Gordon. This was surprising to me given that it was 2019, and as I learned about this camp and its values from other Macalester students, I felt compelled to apply. This camp is bound by its values in youth empowerment, striving for excellence, and fostering community from a socially conscious perspective. Aside from the various summer games, sports and lakefront activities, goal oriented curricula were used in order to enrich each child’s time at camp and provide a holistic educational experience.
Key Components of Camp Curricula
Key Components of Camp Curricula
Small group discussions were facilitated in counselor pairs and divided by by age group. This was in order for the conversations to be facilitated within a appropriate generational context (ex. high school vs. elementary). Essentially, campers of similar grade levels from different places across the country were able to share their perspectives in a lower stakes environment. Having this structured safe space allows for the sense of belonging, trust, and acceptance needed to foster healthy youth development within our communities.
Social Justice Track
Social Justice Track
Having a social justice-centered curriculum allows us to expand the consciousness of our campers (Ginwright and Cammarota, 2002). Here, facilitated dialogues, debates and discussions on readings pertaining to issues surrounding race and gender inequalities allowed for the opportunity for children to not only listen to various perspectives, but possibly find solace through shared experiences.
Brown Eyes Blue Eyes
Brown Eyes Blue Eyes
This was a controversial, yet historical study conducted by Jane Elliot that looked to explore how prejudice and discrimination develop in the context of certain power dynamics. In this lesson, she wanted White children to understand what discrimination felt like to their Black peers during the desegregation era, in order to not only teach about these injustices but build a stronger sense of empathy among her students. This movie screening was the first component of our discussion series held in our small groups surrounding race, discrimination and identity in the United States.
Book Store link: https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/
My Role and Lessons Learned
My Role and Lessons Learned
As a camp counselor, I helped campers in team-building, various summer activities and served as a confidante whenever issues arose. I would say my time spent at Kupugani was one of the most rewarding work experiences I’ve had so far, because I had the honor of helping adolescents expand their knowledge of social justice and advocacy as well as my own. It is often assumed kids cannot handle such topics, but they are genuinely willing to engage with an open mind. Through this reciprocative learning experience, I feel as though I would like to continue a career in the realm of health equity and youth development in order to support positive identity development in our education settings and amongst our future agents of social change.
Leah Hailu
Leah Hailu
My name is Leah Hailu (she/her/hers) and I am from Bloomington, Minnesota. In my time at Mac I majored in Neuroscience with the Community and Global Health concentration, worked as a mentor with Department of Multicultural Life, and was a board member for BLAC and Afrika student organizations. During my college career, I wanted to explore the intersectionality between the biological sciences and social advocacy, looking to explore this relationship further in the sector of health policy/equity after the pursual of a Master's in Public Health.
Citations
- Catalano, R. F., Berglund, M. L., Ryan, J. A., Lonczak, H. S., & Hawkins, J. D. (2004). Positive youth development in the United States: Research findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. The annals of the American academy of political and social science, 591(1), 98-124.
- Hagerman, M. A. (2019). Conversations with kids about race. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(7), 17-21.
- Neblett Jr, Enrique W., Deborah Rivas‐Drake, and Adriana J. Umaña‐Taylor. "The promise of racial and ethnic protective factors in promoting ethnic minority youth development." Child development perspectives 6.3 (2012): 295-303.
- Ginwright, S., & Cammarota, J. (2002). New Terrain in Youth Development: The Promise of a Social Justice Approach. Social Justice, 29(4), 4.
- Yip, T. (2018). Ethnic/racial identity—A double-edged sword? Associations with discrimination and psychological outcomes. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(3), 170-175
- http://www.campkupugani.com
Page updated
Report abuse