Inner Joy Versus Hardship: Insights from Black Girls

Inner Joy Versus Hardship: Insights from Black Girls

From Digital Dominoes by Angeline Corvaglia

May 15, 2025 · 29 min · Season 1 · Episode 23

About this episode

The episode explores the meaning of joy among Black girls through a conversation with Alexandria Onuoha, highlighting resilience and societal perceptions.

In this thought-provoking and very timely episode of Digital Dominoes, Angeline has an inspiring conversation with Alexandria Onuoha, who recently completed her PhD dissertation on the meaning of joy among Black girls. Alexandria shares her research, which challenges the conventional deficit-based models of understanding Black children. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing joy as a core part of the human experience, even in the face of adversity. Her study involved 14 Black middle school girls capturing their interpretations of joy through photography, revealing insights into how joy is perceived as a constant source tied to spirituality and purpose. The episode extends into broader discussions on societal perceptions, youth development, and the role of digital spaces in shaping self-esteem and mental health. Alexandria underscores the need for creating joy spaces both offline and online to foster resilience against social and digital harms. Tune in to learn how joy can be a radical act of resistance and collective futures for Black girls and beyond. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:15 Alexandria's Dissertation on Joy 02:54 Methodology: Photo Voice Study 04:17 Key…

People in this episode

Host: Angeline Corvaglia

Guest: Alexandria Onuoha

Topics covered

  • joy
  • Black girls
  • youth development
  • digital spaces
  • resilience
  • photography

Keywords

  • joy
  • Black girls
  • PhD dissertation
  • photography
  • resilience
  • digital spaces
  • youth development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Digital Dominoes

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