Shedana Hayes-Agent, a 2024 graduate of the EdD in Educational & Professional Practice, program published her dissertation, Racial Trauma: The Silent Killer Among High School Students of Color. The premise of this research was founded on White dominance and privilege, and the study aims to understand the problem through the eyes and lived experiences of high school students of color.
Racial trauma is deeply institutionalized within our educational system because of the primary focus on the dominant Western society ideology of culture, language, literacy, and academic standards. Due to minimum recognition in the mental health field or the education arena, the effects of such trauma are profound. They can account for social and behavioral dysfunctions seen in high school adolescent students of color as well as low academic achievement. The phenomenon of racial trauma in society is deeply tragic, with historical roots that pervade public high school campuses and classrooms.
This study aims to understand the problem through the eyes and lived experiences of high school students of color. The overarching research question is: How does racial trauma impact the mental health of high school students of color? Individual interviews and narrative inquiry were used to encapsulate and validate the issues of racial trauma and its impact on students of color’s mental health.
Hayes-Agent, a Black Woman, has navigated the challenges of being authentic in spaces that often lack understanding and acceptance. Her personal journey has been marked by instances of discrimination, desolation, and disembodiment. However, these experiences have not deterred her. Instead, they have strengthened her voice and deepened her commitment to advocacy, particularly for students of color. Hayes-Agent is a passionate advocate who is fearless in challenging the status quo. Her mission is clear: to dismantle educational inequities experienced by students of color. She believes that the best way to effect change is to empower those on the front lines of education with the latest educational research and awareness.
Read more about Hayes-Agent and her dissertation Racial Trauma: The Silent Killer Among High School Students of Color here.