Three Trains Running: The Intersectionality of Race-Based Trauma, African American Youth, and Race-Based Interventions

Race-based trauma and how it affects African American adolescents academically, socially, and emotionally has been an issue of increased concern due to racial disparities in the American education system. Consequently, a myriad of race-based interventions have been created in an effort to support African American adolescents. In this article, the author details the findings from a phenomenological study that examined the lived experiences of 10 African American emerging adults who having participated in race-based interventions during their secondary education successfully integrated the interventions to mitigate race-based trauma academically, socially, and emotionally. The qualitative data revealed three key findings that the participants valued in race-based interventions (1) interventions that were aware of their needs as African Americans (2) interventions that provided access and exposure to tools to best mitigate race-based trauma, and (3) interventions that exposed them to various platforms that allowed them to witness, develop, practice, and activate the tools the interventions provided. © 2020, Springer Nature B.V.