Current Projects
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SOUL FOOD
Black parents, caregivers, and their children (ages 8-12) are invited to share their experiences with race, family mealtimes and health through small group conversations in the Richmond area. Participating caregivers and youth will receive compensation for their time and insights, and refreshments will be served. Families will also be invited to participate in an optional family mealtime observation. This feedback will inform future community programming that promotes family discussions about race, nutritious meals, and more!
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Who Can Participate?
Families are eligible if they have:
1) At least one Black parent or caregiver that resides in the home with the target child
2) At least one Black youth between the ages of 8-12
3) At least one member of the family must have a CVD risk factor or a family history of CVD (e.g., hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol).
4) Ability to attend an in-person focus group in the Richmond area
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Interested or Want to Learn More?
Please complete the study screener or contact Dr. Shawn Jones and the AYA Research Team at (804) 728-0010 or ayaresearch@vcu.edu
Current Projects
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ROOTED: Endeavor
This is a two-year study looking at parents and parents-to-be of Black youth’s plans for teaching their children about race. The study involves a baseline survey, a 60-minute virtual interview with parents, and then four follow-up interviews each six months.
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Who Can Participate?
1) Expecting parents or parents raising a Black child between the ages of 0-5 years old
2) Parents must be romantically involved
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Interested or Want to Learn More?
Please contact Dr. Shawn Jones and the AYA Research Team at (804) 728-0010 or ayaresearch@vcu.edu
Past Projects
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ROOTED: Mosaic
This study uses dyadic survey, observation, and interview methods to elucidate the ways in which Black families representing a diverse structural spectrum (e.g., non-residential coparents, extended kin, blended families, SGL couples) undertake the racial socialization of their children together.
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Social Media Exposure to Racial Stress
Recent incidents of race-related killings of unarmed Black individuals by law enforcement have been coupled with an unprecedented “front row seat” to these incidents, notably through social media exposure (e.g., Autoplay videos). This survey-based study will attempt to better understand whether such associations exist for young adult Black Americans.
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Racial Socialization Experiences of 1st and 2nd Generation Black Americans
The majority of the current research on the racial socialization of Black children in the United States has not considered the impact of the intersectionality of generation status, ethnicity, and race on socialization; despite Black immigrants and their children comprising 18% of the overall Black population in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016). This study sought to assess the way in which “New” African Americans, defined as first generation (immigrants) and second generation (children of immigrants) are racially socialized regarding what it means to be Black/African American in America.
