“The majority of the Black girls we’re discussing today, have no idea we meet yearly at these conferences to discuss their plight.”
~ Dr. Nishaun T. Battle

From the time I was a doctoral student, I knew my research would be community centered, with an intentional focus on social justice; both theoretical and praxis. My interests varied across academic disciplines and as such, I happily embraced transdisciplinary theoretical frameworks and methodologies. Interested mostly in the lives and voices of Black girls, my work is qualitative. I infuse my own personal interests in the arts with my research and teaching pedagogy. This includes an arts-based, ethnographic approach including storytelling, improv, poetry, and participatory observation, grounded primarily in Intersectionality and Black Feminist frameworks. I am most interested in Black Girlhood as an identity construct, the lived experiences of Black girls, and the ways in which they navigate racism, microaggression, and punishment within schools and their resiliency and resistance towards stereotypical societal narratives.

My research explores how Black girls’ resilience, resistance, and creative genius impacts their identity, wellness, and understanding of girlhood, social justice, and Black womanhood. I am the author of Black Girlhood, Punishment, and Resistance: Reimagining Justice for Black Girls in Virginia and have written scholarly articles exploring spaces created by Black women and Black women’s organizations that provide leadership development, self-esteem and confidence building, and support for Black girls and girls of color.

I explore the lived experiences of Black girls and investigate the following:

• How do Black girls engage arts-based wellness programs to activate mental wellness?
• How do school punishment practices impact Black girls’ wellness?
• How do school punishment practices impact Black girls’ understanding of their bodies as sites of punishment?
• How do Black girls create spaces of justice to promote intergenerational healing and wellness?
• How do Black women led community-based organizations help impact positive Black girl development?