'In the Shoes That I'm in Now' An Intergenerational Community Archiving Framework Centering Critical Youth Participatory-Action Research

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Bibliographic Details
Title: 'In the Shoes That I'm in Now' An Intergenerational Community Archiving Framework Centering Critical Youth Participatory-Action Research
Language: English
Authors: Isaiah Lawrence Lassiter, Haley Rose Kowal, Ayana Allen-Handy, Jahyonna Brown, Qudia Ervin, Jasmine Atwell, Ishmael Burrell, Karena Alane Escalante, Ronald Ray, Catherine Ann Nettles, Arania Goldsmith-Carter, Michelle S. Allen, Marie Wilkins-Walker
Source: Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. 2025 31(1):48-72.
Availability: Edward Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning, University of Michigan. 1024 Hill Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3310. Tel: 734-647-7402; Fax: 734-647-7464; Web site: https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/mjcsl/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 25
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
High Schools
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Archives, Intergenerational Programs, Action Research, Participatory Research, African American Community, African American History, Local History, School Community Programs, College School Cooperation, High Schools, High School Students, Older Adults, Urban Schools, African American Education, Student Experience, Student Development
Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
DOI: 10.3998/mjcsl.5325
ISSN: 1076-0180
Abstract: The transformation of Black communities and the erasure of their history has resulted in a gap in intergenerational connections and knowledge among the youths (15-24) and older adults (55+). This article describes the multi-faceted process behind an intergenerational critical Youth-centered Participatory Action Research (cYPAR) project. The "West Philadelphia High School -- Youth Archivists" project started in 2019 and has grown to amplify participatory heritage and community archival research alongside West Philadelphia community youth and elders. This research highlights the systemic marginalization of urban communities with highly minoritized populations by shedding light on the impact of gentrification on their educational institutions and on the disproportionate effects on the cultural-historical knowledge among Black youths and older adults. By centering the voices of youth, this study preserves the local history of the West Philadelphia High School and community and empowers youths and elders to assert their narratives and advocate for self-determination. Guided by a critical theoretical framework, this project explores identity, gentrification, and community legacy themes. Additionally, it offers a transformative model for a university-school-community partnership that fosters a sustainable participatory heritage program to preserve the legacy of a predominantly Black high school with a long history of over 100 years.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1475509
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The transformation of Black communities and the erasure of their history has resulted in a gap in intergenerational connections and knowledge among the youths (15-24) and older adults (55+). This article describes the multi-faceted process behind an intergenerational critical Youth-centered Participatory Action Research (cYPAR) project. The "West Philadelphia High School -- Youth Archivists" project started in 2019 and has grown to amplify participatory heritage and community archival research alongside West Philadelphia community youth and elders. This research highlights the systemic marginalization of urban communities with highly minoritized populations by shedding light on the impact of gentrification on their educational institutions and on the disproportionate effects on the cultural-historical knowledge among Black youths and older adults. By centering the voices of youth, this study preserves the local history of the West Philadelphia High School and community and empowers youths and elders to assert their narratives and advocate for self-determination. Guided by a critical theoretical framework, this project explores identity, gentrification, and community legacy themes. Additionally, it offers a transformative model for a university-school-community partnership that fosters a sustainable participatory heritage program to preserve the legacy of a predominantly Black high school with a long history of over 100 years.
ISSN:1076-0180
DOI:10.3998/mjcsl.5325