Examining youth participatory action research as a context to disrupt implicit bias in African American adolescent girls

Youth participatory action research (YPAR) projects are powerful developmental contexts for important lessons in identity, power, stereotypes, and bias. African American girls develop in a society that devalues and often stigmatizes their racial and gendered identity. Although studies have shown that African American girls score high on self-esteem measures, they are still vulnerable to internalizing societal biases associated with their race and gender. In this article, we explore how African American girls perceived working in a group together and the components of a YPAR project served as an important context for disrupting bias. Observational and interview data (n = 8) across three semesters were analyzed, to understand participants' initial perceptions about their team and their perceptions and actions at the end of the project. Our study found that the African American girls in our group held negative biases at the beginning of the project. During their participation in the YPAR project, their perceptions became more positive towards working with others who share their race and gender. Acknowledging competence, recognizing within-group diversity, and exposing girls to counter-narratives, challenged internalized biases and led to a deeper respect as they worked to complete their YPAR project.