The Experience of Black Adolescent Males in an Out-of-School Program on the West Side of Chicago

Interwoven with first person accounts, from the author, this study looks to illuminate the contrasting developmental experience of Black Adolescent Males (BAMs) within traditional and non-traditional developmental spaces. For decades developmental practitioners have created and implemented programs and initiatives that aim to promote the academic achievement of Black males. Due to this, most educational research conducted on BAMs aims to discover how to “elevate” Black male’s intellectual and social capacities for them to adjust to the desired norms of traditional school spaces. However, there’s room to examine Black boys’ developmental experiences within “other” spaces that are created with and for them. Using photo elicitation and Photovoice, this research examines the developmental impact an out of school program that promotes creative and technical skill development, cultural competence, and critical race consciousness has on BAMs. This study will utilize the images and voices of research participants to articulate how their experience within a pro Black holistic developmental space contributes to how they see themselves as Black adolescent males within a broader anti-Black paradigm.