FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Taryrn T.C. Brown (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida. Her research focuses on the intersection of gender, race, and class in Black women and girls' lives; amplifying their voices in prevention science; and examining parental, school, and community roles in digital socialization and identity. As a scholar-practitioner, she promotes equity-centered pedagogies in teaching and learning. She founded the Black Girlhood Collaborative for research and learning focused on Black girlhood.

RESEARCHER

Ayanna Troutman, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow at UTHealth Houston, where she conducts research and scholarship focused on Black adolescent girls in the K-12 system, including alternative education. Her work explores their schooling experiences and emotional well-being using youth participatory action research (YPAR).

RESEARCHER

Kandysee Leonard is a Ph.D. candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of Florida. Kandysee has served as Program Lead for BGC Girl Talk! and supports administrative processes and engagement with the Collaborative. Her research interests encompass cultivating and exploring Blackgirls’ belonging in alternative schools through critical frameworks and methodologies such as Black Girl Cartography and Endarkened Storywork.

YOUTH PROGRAMS, RESEARCHER

Sophia is in her 5th year undergraduate student at the University of florida. She is the BGC Youth Team Lead, which includes Girl Talk! and the BGC Youth Team. She is dedicated to supporting Black and Latina girls within and outside U.S. and Latin American educational contexts through participatory research, intentional mentorship and critical discussion.

YOUTH PROGRAMS, RESEARCHER

Kenesma is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Florida. She is a co-lead for the BGC Youth Programming, which includes Girl Talk! and the BGC Youth Team. Kenesma’s identity as a second-generation Caribbean American guides her scholarship which is centered around Black Girlhood Studies, Black Feminist Thought, Black Immigrants' Experiences, and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Dahlia is a Master’s student at the University of Florida. She supports BGC through our monthly newsletter and team communications. Her research interests include understanding how Latina students experience marginalization and oppression within schooling spaces and how they envision pathways to resistance and equity.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Oluyemisi Oladejo is a first-year PhD student in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Teachers, Schools and Society, at the University of Florida. Oluyemisi is a BGC lead, supporting research and dissemination.

Oluyemisi’s research interest borders on experiential learning designs and other pedagogical models to navigate and circumvent the challenges of educational resources inaccessibility among marginalized groups. She is currently exploring the points of convergence and divergence of marginalization between Nigeria and the US educational systems.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Deandra West (she/her/hers) is a doctoral candidate at the University of Florida in the Curriculum and Instruction program, specializing in reading and literacy. Deandra is a BGC Team leader, supporting research and dissemination efforts.

Her interests include highlighting the literacy practices of students from historically marginalized communities, the enactment of culturally sustaining and relevant pedagogies to enrich students' learning experiences, countering censorship of diverse texts, and the infusion of BIPOC texts in elementary classrooms.

YOUTH PROGRAMS

Breonna is a Ph.D. student in Agricultural Education at the University of Florida. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Pre-Law from the illustrious Florida A&M University (FAMU). Afterward, I pursued a Master’s degree in Entomology at FAMU, further expanding my academic expertise.

Breonna desires to create learning environments where individuals develop the skills necessary to fulfill their purpose in life. I strive to help others flourish authentically, encouraging them to stay true to themselves while emphasizing my values of integrity, honesty, self-discipline, individuality, communication, kindness, and support.