Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) undergraduate students face many obstacles and barriers when navigating historically and predominantly white institutions (HPWI’s). BIPOC students also possess and employ an array community cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005) as they navigate a racially hostile climate (Samuelson & Litzler, 2016; Stanton et al., 2022). This study applies a participatory action research frameworkand employs photovoice (Wang & Burris, 1997) to explore BIPOC undergraduate students’ community cultural wealth strategies as they navigate space at an HPWI. The PAR Team consists of four undergraduate women of color, one undergraduate man of color, and a woman of color PhD student. The study found that BIPOC undergraduate students leverage community cultural wealth during experiences of emotional and academic distress due to lack of support and isolation while (re)imagining Mountain State University. We argue that when grounded in a community cultural wealth framework, photovoice offers a way for undergraduate researchers to document hostile campuses while affirming their dignity, agency, and expertise.
The transformation of Black communities and the erasure of their history has resulted in a gap in intergenerational connections and knowledge among youth (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 the disproportionate effects on the cultural-historical knowledge among Black youth and older adults. By centering the voices of youth, this study not only preserves the local history but also empowers youth and elders of the West Philadelphia High School and community 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.
