making the Academic Personal
translating the key findings and intentions of an academic article so the core message reaches the general public
The Research
In 2022, I designed, conducted and wrote an article about expeirences of racism and heterosexism Black LGBTQ+ young adults experience in the LGBTQ and Black communities respectively and its influence on their engagement in activism.
Published in The Journal of Black Psychology, this study found that experiences of exclusion within the LGBTQ community pushed Black LGBTQ youth to be more involved in activism for the cause of LGBTQ people of color, highlighting the importance of applying an intersectional lens to our analysis of youth’s community involvement and sociopolitical development.
Being published in peer-reviewed journals is significant in that it helps contribute to work that drives research, policy, and practice, creating change on a systematic level.
These insights can also make changes in people’s personal lives in understanding the challenges they face are not singular. However, the language used in academic articles is inaccessible for a general public not well versed in quantitiative statistics and doesn’t necessarily care about statistical significance. Moreover, while quantitative statistics is helpful in articulating trends of a population, the flattening of identity that occurs to develop those statistics can be harmful.
I still wanted my words to reach the the black queer youth I hoped to help directly and honor the complexity of their lives that couldn’t be captured in a research article.
the gap
The Solution
the love letter beneath the research
For my researchers and academics, let this be an example of how you can have the best of both worlds
-a peer-reviewed article that shapes the field and advances research, policy and practice
-writing that still speaks to the heart of your work and the people you intend to help
I’m available for editing, coaching, and writing partnership services if you need help with crafting either your academic writing or finding creative ways to share your research with the public.