Want to learn more about some of our current work? Click on the author names to check out research flyers for the studies!

 

         Leath, S., Wright, P., Charity-Parker, B., & Stephens, E. (2021, revise & resubmit). Exploring Black women’s pathways to motherhood within a reproductive justice framework. Journal of Qualitative Health Research.

The purpose of the present qualitative study was to explore Black women’s pathways to motherhood and broaden current conceptualizations of family formation. We drew on in-depth, individual, semi-structured interview data from 31 Black mothers (25-50 years, Mage = 35 years) from across the United States. Using consensual qualitative research methods, we identified three themes: (1) intentional family planning, (2) unintended pregnancy, and (3) othermothering. The findings challenge deficit-based stereotypes surrounding Black motherhood and illuminate how health practitioners can facilitate humanizing conversations that prioritize Black women’s lived experiences regarding family planning. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leath, S., & Chavous, T. (2017). “We really protested…I felt like I was in a movement”: The influence of sociopolitical beliefs, political self-efficacy, and campus racial climate on civic engagement among Black college students attending PWIs. The Journal of Negro Education, 86(3), 220-237. 

The current study examined sociopolitical worldviews (just world beliefs, racial stigma consciousness), political self-efficacy, and campus racial climate as influences on civic engagement behaviors among Black college students (N = 322) attending selective predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Results highlight the importance of considering individual and contextual-level factors in studying Black college students’ civic engagement.