Black youth as researchers: leveraging multiliteracies, community cultural wealth and community resilience through Youth Participatory Action Research

Purpose This research aims to develop a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) curriculum that empowers Black youth as change agents, enhancing their self-esteem and sense of belonging while fostering community resilience. This curriculum aims to integrate embodied multiliteracies and community cultural wealth and to contribute to the academic conversation around community-engaged participatory action research. Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the importance of youth activism in shaping future visions, particularly in the context of current political challenges. Design/methodology/approach The methodology of this research centers on YPAR. This approach involves collaborating closely with Black youth to develop a curriculum that supports their roles as change agents. The curriculum is structured around concepts of embodied multiliteracies and community cultural wealth, crucial elements for fostering community resilience. By embedding these components within the framework of a CDF Freedom School, the research seeks to engage youth deeply in the learning process. Additionally, it aims to enrich the academic conversation surrounding community-engaged participatory action research, focusing on empowering youth to drive positive change in their communities and influence future visions, particularly in the current political landscape. Findings The research findings indicate that nurturing community resilience in Black youth through participatory approaches significantly enhances their self-esteem and sense of belonging. By implementing a YPAR curriculum developed in collaboration with Black youth, the study emphasizes key components such as embodied multiliteracies and community cultural wealth. Moreover, it highlights the importance of youth activism in today's political climate, showcasing their essential role as agents of positive change in their communities and in broader societal contexts. The collaborative curriculum not only enriches understanding and support within youth but also aims to contribute to scholarly discussions on community-engaged action research. Research limitations/implications The collaborative development of the YPAR curriculum with Black youth highlights a significant research implication regarding how participatory curricula can empower marginalized communities, combining education with fostering youth engagement as change agents. This underscores the importance of further studies examining the impact of such curricula across various settings. Additionally, the focus on youth activism as a response to the current political landscape underscores the need for research into youth-led initiatives, exploring how these young leaders can influence community resilience and shape future visions by intersecting political engagement with educational practices to cultivate effective youth leadership. Practical implications One practical implication of this research is that nurturing community resilience and cultural wealth alongside Black youth as change agents enhances their self-efficacy. By engaging these young individuals in research like YPAR, they can acquire skills that empower them to take initiative in addressing community issues, ultimately fostering leadership qualities and active participation in societal change. It also highlights the impact of Freedom Schools as culturally responsive school-community partnerships, which serve as incubators for youth development and change. Social implications In this research, one of the most salient social implications of the work is that the impact of empowerment not only helps in the personal development of these youth but also encourages a broader movement toward systemic change, as they engage with and influence their communities positively. Originality/value This work’s originality lies in its much-needed focus on Black youth as agents of change at a crucial moment for censorship legislation. Its value also resides in highlighting the essential role of community resilience through a customized YPAR curriculum. This curriculum recognizes and incorporates embodied multiliteracies and community cultural wealth, making it particularly relevant and beneficial for the intended demographic. By situating the project within a CDF Freedom School context, the paper promotes theoretical frameworks and methodologies that emphasize community engagement, placing youth at the forefront of driving positive change.