Mellon Research Fellow: Destanee Joiner
Representation, Identity, and Literacy: Why Seeing Matters for Student Success
College: Brightpoint Community College
Faculty mentor: Kenyada McLeod
Project summary: This paper argues that children’s literacy and emotional growth are significantly improved when they see their own cultural identities reflected in the books they read. To address the lack of representation in schools, the author developed a book series featuring a Black youth detective to help students in underserved communities feel more connected to and empowered by their education.