African American youth today suffer disproportionately from a host of negative psychological and behavioral outcomes -- largely due to the effects of institutionalized racism, exploitation and social injustices (Stevenson, Reed Bodison, & Bishop, 1997; Baldwin, Harris & Chambliss, 1997; Green, 2000; Lewis, 2001). Research has found that formal education is one of the single most powerful mediums for counteracting and transforming many of these social ills and is thus one of the most effective places to intervene with youth (Green, 2001). However the current traditional mainstream education system has neglected to promote Black psychological and behavioral well being by failing to infuse Black culture into the curriculum (Tate Ladson-Billings & Grant, 1993). Hence, the goal of the proposed study is to promote Black psychological and behavioral well being through the development and evaluation of a school-based rites of passage intervention using an emancipatory education framework. The intervention involves two major elements: an educational component involving African and African American cultural exchanges and that application of culturally sensitive teaching methods/aids, and an empowerment component which involves providing empowerment services to African American youth. It is expected that by participating in this intervention, African American adolescents will have improved psychological and behavioral well being, have greater access to community resources, be better able to participate as leaders in their communities, and be more informed about their African heritage. ? ?
