The Importance of Family Documentation for Displaced Youth

The Importance of Family Documentation for Displaced Youth

Octavia Fugerson, M.Ed, Ph.D - Juneteenth 2020 Dedication

Knowing Where You Come From Impacts Self Identity 

      There is a need for youth and young adults who engage the child welfare system to know where they come from. Information about one’s family contributes to knowledge of self and self identity. We’ve heard how knowing where one comes from may provide clarity to where one is going. The history, values, and ideas gained from engaging family or one of shared origins, provides support that informs and inspires. Family documentation influences one's technique or style and connects one to a shared experience, against an uncertain world. Insight related to where one's dreams and motivation is likely to arise, with one's understanding of self, especially when rooted in a collective, such as family - or the historical socioeconomic status of an ethnic group. Life decisions are made easier and one's strengths and weaknesses become more apparent when one takes information that comes from beyond one social collective, such engagement with the field of child welfare, and acknowledges roots in the natural collective, such as one's biological family.

       While the field of child welfare made it clear that I stood apart in society, based on my life's experiences, my family shared information that brought relativity, a sense of belonging, and greater understanding of my capabilities and place within a collective I identified with. To have access to information about my family- from my family, was to have a broader, more empowering, perspective of my living situation and my definition of self. The narrative my family shared felt anti-racist, and shared perspective to some of my resistance. For me, family's documentation provided a knowledge of self, rooted in moral, social and spiritual principles that informed and inspired my natural ways of being. It is that empowerment and passion for positive youth development that encourages me to share the benefits of family documentation for displaced, or disconnected youth- such as youth who have experienced foster care, homelessness, juvenile delinquency or migration.

Some of My Story

      I read the local community publication and learned more about the history of my family. My biological family had educated me on my history. The foster care system had educated me on my history. As a national youth advocate and motivational speaker, I had educated folks across the nation on my history. But it was something about having conversations with my biological family and seeing the documents in the possession of my family that revealed empowering things about my history, and expanded my story. I share my experience so that others who engage the child welfare system know the benefit of family documentation. 

      After being placed in foster care at the age of 14, then emancipating at 21 years old and serving as a foster care advocate, I had engaged my story differently than the average adolescent, who never experienced separation from their family. Professionals informed me of my social and economic status, as I received evaluations and assessments on how my life was affected by my home dynamics.

     The image of us, who are recipients of child welfare services, are influenced beyond the stories within our families. Engaging the family court, the foster care system, juvenile justice system, child welfare agencies, and community organizations, I learned that there were judgments of how families should engage and exist. I learned that my family did not sufficiently meet the standards the child welfare system had at all times. It wasn't until I engaged material outside the child welfare system that I learned why such was the case, in a way that did not make me feel like my family were the bad guys- with little to offer. Our family members provide experiential context that others, outside the community, may not be exposed to. Talking to my grandfather, Frank Fugerson, I was exposed to the value of family’s documentation.

      Naturally as I got older, I had many questions about my family, especially after I aged out of foster care. I was interested in how we got to the current place of our story. My curiosity grew not only from the gaps of knowledge related to family identification, like how my older cousin isn’t my aunt or historical residential geographic location, like how we got from the farm to the city, but my interest in my family history grew from the search for validation of goodness that the child welfare system, nor the education system did not portray to me about my family. I heard the system and I wanted to hear my family’s and my community’s side of the story. My grandfather’s story is a part of my story, the story of the importance of documentation, and the story of American Descendants of Slavery.

In 2017, I read “Best of Chatt Hills”, honoring my grandfather in their November, Issue No. 23.

The “citizen-run news service that connects, informs, and engages friends and neighbors of Chattahoochee Hills, GA” shared elements of my family story that I did not hear from the foster care system and some I did not hear from the mouth’s of my family.

The great gift I received from this document was details of my family member’s contribution to society, and the record of our American lineage, through descendants of slavery.

      After growing from the information I was exposed to about my family history, I wanted to plant the seed of the importance of documents and narratives about one’s family - outside of the child welfare system- to be recognized as informative for other disconnected youth . To me, “disconnected youth” are those of us who have been separated from our biological family, or origins. When youth who might have experienced foster care, homelessness, juvenile delinquency or migration, engage stories outside the child welfare system, they can learn more about who their families are, within the context of their communities. 

      The stories, outside the documentation the child welfare system provides, may extend beyond a deficit perspective, and empower young people with knowledge of family achievements and value. The documentation is important not only when related to one’s mother and father, but it is just as important for the other family members as well. For when a child is placed in the custody of the state, they are uprooted not only from their biological parents, but also family members including siblings, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins.

The Benefits of Family Documentation

• Family documents inform youth of their family’s place in the larger historical picture.
• With each visit, those who engage their family documents can gain a different understanding. Having these documents allow the youth to refer to the material at their discretion, including at later times, with a more developed perspective.
• Young people can be empowered by narratives that are not rooted in a deficit perspective or bound to the assessments of health or child welfare professionals.
• Oral tradition contributes to young people having a holistic perspective. Young people should hear about the dynamics of their family and different family member’s character from people other than professionals of child welfare. The variety in the orientations to information about individuals allow room for diverse perspectives to emerge. For example, the people of my grandfather’s religious affiliates and community members, spoke differently than his children and other family members. His grandchildren also had a different perspective, as we saw him more at the stage of his elderhood than youth or adulthood. The child welfare system never spoke of my grandfather, or any of my family members, as those in the community had.
• Acquiring knowledge of one’s family history and origins provides a satisfaction in accurate storytelling and may develop a sense of responsibility to preserve the past for future generations.

Types of Documents

      Family documents may include vital records, financial papers, medical & insurance information, newspaper articles, journals/diary entries, or photographs. 

     I encourage the use of more social documents, like family albums and article pieces, than documents that may describe biological factors, such as medical records or genealogical records. While those records are informative, it is the social documents that add a level of context that the youth may be able to relate more to and gain more empowerment from. This is the case especially for youth who are American Descendants of Slavery, within the field of child welfare. With the influence of the illusion of white supremacy, there is a historical nature of efforts to distort the image of the population. The child welfare system is limited in their ability to use an anti-deficit approach and tell a story of strengths and values, when it comes to black youth. Family documentation reveals more elements that are likely not to be captured by the child welfare system, with the intent to share with disconnected youth. 

• Below you can find examples of documents that may inform youth of more of their family history.
• Birth certificates
• Adoption papers
• Citizenship papers
• Military discharge papers
• Photographs
• Trust documents
• Last will and testament
• Burial instructions
• Trust documents/ safe deposit boxes combinations
• Banking accounts
• Money Marketing accounts
• Certificates of Deposits (CDs)
• Pension System Statements
• Religious records
• U.S. Savings Bonds
• Stock Certificates/Bonds
• Real Estate Deeds
• Vehicle Titles
• Land and Property (tax) Records
• Rental Agreements
• Family Trees / Family names
• Newspaper and Magazines Articles
• Biographies
• Court records
• Obituaries
• Coroner’s reports
• Memberships to organizations
• Marriage certificates
• Occupational records
• School records
• Cemetery records
• Voter Registrations Record
• DNA Test

More of the Story of My Family’s Documentation 
     My experience with engaging the magazine article of my grandfather revealed to me the importance of narratives outside of what I received from foster care.
Through out my life, despite the seperation, I always respected my grandfather as a powerfully responsible man, who raised a large family and obtained land, during a time much danger was in the face of American Descendants of Slavery. However, it wasn't until after I aged out of foster care that I received the most valuable information from my family. Having access to my family's documents expanded my perspective, in the sense that I began to understand the value of who my grandfather/my family is to our community. 

     To spend time at my grandfather’s house is to be on the farm. Muscadines, peaches, pecans and the alkaline water are some of my favorite things on his land. Even till my grandfather's dying days, he was working his land, cutting trees and making sure the space was set for the fruit of his hard work to bear for his family and community. I spent a good amount of time with my grandfather as I felt lost dealing with the dynamics of graduate school. The indoctrination challenged me in ways I was not a fan of and when I felt bent out of shape, I ran to my family for a dose of origins, authenticity, and encouragement to remain true to my beliefs. To share the story of my grandfather and how knowledge of it empowers me, is to continue to bear the fruit of our family. Family documentation brought me comfort during distressing times and there I found strength to build my identity, and help others build their identity.

     During my struggles of graduate school, I was informed and empowered by oral interviews of my family history. I remember once asking my grandfather what part of Africa we were from. With the strangest look on his face, he told me we were not from Africa, that we were from Georgia. He shared details of my grandmother's Native American origins, and insisted his people had always been of America's land. My grandfather was proud of my educational accomplishments and happy that his granddaughter was becoming a doctor, continuing to bear fruit of his good work, similar to my cousins, aunties, uncles, sisters, brothers, mother and others of our bloodline and heritage. My grandfather taught me the importance of obtaining and owning land and always cautioned me when traveling through the state, outside my own territory. With that knowledge, I understood while there is space for me, not every space is for me. 

     Another important thing I gained from my family’s documentation was awareness of my heritage as an American Descendant of Slavery. My grandfather revealed to me the struggles of being a sharecropper and existing during the times of apparent Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws. While the article added to my source of information, not all the information provided aligned with the stories my family told. For example, in the article, my mother’s and grandfather's hometown was referred to differently in name than what I knew it as. Also, I didn’t find the details of slavery included. 

     The article did not capture the struggles my grandfather faced within his community, as well as he shared it with me, in his more seasoned years of life. My grandfather told me about the struggles of being a sharecropper in Georgia. He recounted multiple occasions of police officers taking his large sums of cash and personal belongings to their liking because of the belief that he was not supposed to have much. No retribution was made on my grandfather's behalf. He dealt with his experiences and advised his family accordingly. His advice, his words, added to my understanding of the article. 

       From the perspective of my grandfather, I was more than the negative outcomes associated with youth in foster care. From my family's documentation, I was capable of accomplishing great things, for those before me had done so, with great effort and natural talents. The intangibles I gained from reading this one particular article and hearing the multiple stories from my family, are valuable and inspire me to share, so other disconnected youth may gain similar benefits.

       It is essential to the development and health of youth in foster care that they build the narratives of who they are and where they come from, beyond the limited information that the child welfare system can provide. I encourage the use of oral traditions among families, in combination with documents outside what is typically used within the child welfare system to shift the narratives young people hear about their families. Young people who are displaced, or disconnected, or disadvantaged are more than the issues they face. It’s important that the details of life outside of trauma are shared with the youth so that they may have a holistic perspective of themselves, their families, their communities and their place in society.

To receive more information on how to engage
Family Documentation for the benefit of Disconnected or Displaced Youth,
Contact OFDevelopmentalServices@gmail.com

Peer Reviewed by Sherita Gordon, J.D.

An OFDS, LLC Article.

This Spring Expect A Rise of Creative Expression Among Disconnected Youth

From the Desk of Octavia Fugerson, M.Ed, Ph.D

Applied Cognition and Development

March 2020

Spring is near!
The birds are chirping, flowers are coloring the grass, and the sun is shining. Similar to how the plants and animals of nature rise with the increase of heat, this spring let's expect a rise in expressions and behaviors of creativity, among high potential disconnected youth in classrooms, and other institutional settings. Like plants growing and insects hatching, creativity will be bubbling. Some students become excited, inspired, gain desires, and go against the social norms of classroom management. For high potential disconnected youth, creative behavior and creative thinking is not always rewarded in the traditional classroom or in their living environments. Among the students identified as having behavior problems, are many students with great skill in originality (uniqueness of ideas), elaboration (addition to detail), fluency (generation of many ideas), or flexibility (generation of different types of ideas and categories), all elements of exhibiting creative processes. While creativity may manifest disruptively at times, as essential spring is to life, creativity benefits, and will show itself, especially this season.


Let’s give attention to how Spring may bring forth a shift to the feelings and behaviors that may increase creativity by looking to individuals who experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. Applying an anti-deficit perspective, strengths, resources and other themes aligned with wellbeing can be highlighted.

A glance at Seasonal Affective Disorder, from an Anti-Deficit Perspective
Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression that’s related to changes in season. Winter months, with the colder temperature, icy weather and limited sunshine, may put to sleep elements of creativity, similar to the effect winter has on some animals who hibernate and some trees that lose their leaves. We are as accustomed to the manifestations of Seasonal Affect Disorder in the Winter Time, as we are traits of depression. Tales of exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, losing interest in common activities, feeling worthless, guilt or hopeless, and thoughts of death, paint a picture we are familiar with, as it relates to the dysfunction of S.A.D. During such time, traits of creativity are less likely to be expressed when one lack’s motivation, are experiencing sadness, or uncontrollable episodes of doubt. With the shift from winter, I’d like to make us more familiar, with traits of creativity in a more active state, such as presented in a warmer seasons.

As the increase sunlight affects melatonin levels, sleep patterns and moods will change and creative behaviors are likely to present themselves. The increase in serotonin levels in the brain reduces symptoms of depression. Breaking from the winter time themes of low energy and tiredness, oversleeping, cravings of foods high carbohydrates and weight gain, spring rejuvenates creativity with a boost of energy, inspiration and new life.

It is an instinctual and innate behavior to take the time to use our hands, minds, and energy in doing something we enjoy. The opportunity to take risks, try new things, and strip away inhibitions in the name of creating and enjoying the influence of spring, provides a means for developing resourceful ways to solve problems. Being able to create, helps one to value their work, trust their instinct and gain confidence. The expression of creativity can be fun, reduce stress level and improve one’s quality of living. Creativity starts with one accessing their own thoughts, feelings and beliefs, then taking the time and energy to develop their own ideas. Creativity facilitates individuals’ understanding of self, trust and respect of self, and better expression of self. The demonstration of creative behaviors and passion exploration, allow our youth to engage and, support the growth of their knowledge and creative skills.

With the coming of spring, some creative themes we should be able to identify among disconnected youth include: 

• Visionalization: purpose that inspires one to give their best back to the world
• Reaching: moving beyond one’s comfort zone to grow and reach goals
• Pioneering: preserving through challenges to innovate
• Communication: collaborating and connecting with others to build strong communities
• Alchemy: harnessing life experiences into optimism
• Actualization: impacting the world as a leader who serves

Demonstration of these skills can be found, as we look to the activities that youth partake in during their spring and summer. Shadowing professionals aligned with personal aspirations, participating in social activities with peers, volunteering through community service and community problem solving present some examples.


Too Much Shade Dims Good Light
Not all creative strengths are viewed the same. However, this spring, youth who have experienced foster care, juvenile incarceration, homelessness or displacement could benefit from expressing their creative strengths without punishment.

Youth who are of the general population, and/or resourced through assets of their parents are more likely to have their creative strengths identified and developed through gifted education services. Disconnected youth, youth who do not benefit from the assets of their biological patterns, deserve to have their creative strengths identified as valuable as well, and those strengths should be developed, opposed to the experience of having their weaknesses highlighted and prioritized, as typical for youth involved with the child welfare and juvenile justice system setting. The current educational setting that gifted and high potential disconnected youth face is not similar to the gifted education services readily accessible to the students of the general population. Behaviors, traits and aptitudes of creative, gifted and high potential disconnected youth are often viewed as behavioral problems. More often, disconnected youth are placed in special education and remediation programs, where deficits are targeted. Conversation of deficiencies in performance can be similar to the rumination of thought of painful experiences that limits creatives, who are facing depression. I suggest we shift from the deficit perspective into an anti-deficit perspective to identify and develop the creative strengths of disconnected youth. That shifts offer perspective that allows creative strengths to be seen not as behavior problems, but as a function of one’s strengths, values, interests, or gifts.

Everybody Loves the Sunshine
With a little more sun, you can expect a little more light and some revelations, warming up, and exploration to occur. Productivity may rise when the opportunity presents itself and one is engaged in activities of their interests or strengths. An increase in creative understanding may show itself in individuals, as they began to present some Creative Thinking Tools this Spring:

Seeing the light, or

• Observing, paying attention to what is felt, seen, heard, smelled, touched or taste when the body
• Recognizing patterns: discovery of nature’s law

Feeling the warmth, or

• Body think: thinking that occurs through sensations and awareness of muscles and skins
• Imagining: ability to recall or imagine feelings and sensations

Letting the light lead the way, or

• Empathizing: losing self in things being studied
• Synthesizing: combining many kinds of experiences - an integration of knowledge

Those who embrace the sunshine feel the warmth. Teachers who show a humanistic philosophical orientation, have developed their own creative competencies and are more effective in enhancing student’s creative abilities, than teachers who follow more traditional instructional approaches. Open the classroom and allow sunshine to flow in, by creating a classroom environment that supports creativity by providing psychological safety.


The Sun Shines Down on Them too
With the initiation of this Spring, I am reminded of neuroplasticity, promise of the adolescent mind and the high potential, or developmental capital of the youth. Developmental capital is a composited of strengths, competencies, values, supports and resources. It is the essential skills used to develop one's best self, and may include creative abilities. Creativity promotes problem-solving, is a prerequisite for innovation, reduces stress & anxiety, leads to feelings of accomplishment & pride, and links one to others. Disconnected youth should not be punished for manifestations of positive creativity and these students deserve psychologically safe educational settings. To provide psychological safety, educators, child welfare professionals, and those engaging in authentic youth engagement should include: empathetic understanding, the creation and enactment of a creative group atmosphere, prevention and avoidance of negative sanctions with a celebration of new ideas or thoughts, avoidance of group pressure and competition, and rewarding creative thinking and output.

Recommendation for How We Acknowledge Youth’s Dispositions in Educational Settings this Spring
This Spring I ask that you engage students with principles of Zach Norris’s Culture of Care to shift out a framework of fear. In this exercise, think of the care you could offer as a sunflower in your garden. Sunshine, water and air are essential to the growth of your flower.

• Imagine the exposure to sunshine you provide being aligned with investing resources for youth to be engaged in meaningful pursuits, becoming more educated and healthier. You can cause a shift from deprivation to resources.
• Imagine the water you provide being aligned with youth attaining engagement with healthy people, such as those who are encouraging, relatable, respectable and resourced. Trust occurs through engaging and resolving conflicts. You can cause a shift from suspicion to relationships.
• Imagine the air provided to your sunflower being aligned with youth having the freedom to move, access provided via social connection, and a sense of possibility. The feeling of knowing where one stands and having the ability to shape one’s circumstances increase one’s agency and aid’s one healing. You can cause a shift from isolation to participation for a youth.

When engaging a population that has experienced the conditions disconnected youth face, an opportunity to be seen in a positive light and treated with care can lead to opportunities to access resources, be educated and become healthier. With these principles, your sunflower of care will grow and so will the creative strengths of the disconnected youth you serve.

Concluding Mantra

With the sunshine of the support of programs that hold their interests, may the disconnected youth we serve, be watered with access to resources, and ascend as swiftly as the wind of spring into the air of their optimal potential and into a better state of well-being.

Happy Spring Equinox! 

Dr. Octavia Fugerson is an educational psychologist with a focus on the cognitive processes and social/emotional support of gifted and creative disconnected youth. She received her Masters of Education in Gifted and Creative Education and her Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Cognition and Development at the University of Georgia. She is currently seeking opportunities to speak, collaborate and consult. She can be contacted at OFDevelopmentalServices@gmail.com.




References

Esquivel, G (1995). Teacher Behaviors that Foster Creativity. Educational Psychology Review 7 (2) p. 185 -202

Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity (2016). Torrance Journal for Applied Creativity Volume 1 https://www.centerforgifted.org/TorranceJournal_V1.pdf

Norris, Z. (2020). We Keep Us Safe: Building Secure, Just and Inclusive Communities. Boston, Massachusetts.

Robinson, K ( 2015). Creative schools: the grassroots revolution that’s transforming education. New York: Viking.

Seasonal Affective Disorder - MayoClinic.org; and https://www.icarehn.com/blog/facts-about-seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/

Disconnected Youth Require Gifted Education Services Too

Disconnected Youth Require Gifted Education Services Too

From the Desk of  Octavia Fugerson, M.Ed, Ph.D Applied Cognition and Development

      This month Governor Bryan Kemp proclaimed January as Gifted Education Month in Georgia. Gifted Education is a group of special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented. According to Georgia’s Department of Education, “in Georgia, a gifted education student is defined as one who demonstrates a high degree of intellectual and/or creative ability(ies), exhibits an exceptionally high degree of motivation, and/or excels in specific academic fields, and who needs special instruction and/or special ancillary services to achieve at levels commensurate with his or her ability(ies)”. In recognition of the need for - and goodness of - gifted education, I want to discuss the difference in access to effective gifted education and talent development programs for those with backgrounds of limited resources. Specifically, I bring attention to the limited resources associated with disconnected youth.
     The term “disconnected” describes the distance in experience from the social norm of youth with adequate resources. “Disconnected” describes the lack of sufficient resources for a comfortable quality of living , including land, family and employment. Disconnected youth include, but not limited to, youth in foster care, homeless youth, juvenile delinquents or youth incarcerated, and migrant youth like youth who are displaced from their home state.
     While discussing disconnected youth and gifted education, it is important to highlight historical context. A separation between one group and another was intended very early, as the elite demanded space of their own and left others with what was left. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the infamous “separate, but equal” ruling which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation, provided a basis for the underrepresentation of disconnected youth in gifted education program. Under this ruling, it was believed that as long as public facilities were equal in quality, separate public accommodations based on race were accepted. Though the decision was overturned with Brown v. Board of Education (1954) which decided that separate was inherently unequal, students still fight for their constitutional right to a quality equitable education. Reasons for the relative absence of disconnected youth in gifted programs include , inadequate training of teachers to recognize giftedness from diverse cultural backgrounds which leads to cultural bias in identification practices, as well as a lack of parental involvement in educational placement decision making. Currently, disconnected youth are more likely to be placed in special education programs where remediation, not development, is the priority.
     Attention to the current context of the experience of disconnected youth and gifted education is necessary. Youth who have experienced foster care, homelessness, incarceration or migration have traits, aptitudes and behaviors aligned with giftedness. These youth have strengths, competencies, values, supports, and resources that the normalized gifted education program overlooks. In order to develop these skills, strengths, gifts, and talents of disconnected youth, their context must be acknowledged from their perspective. When a more accurate portrayal of the experience of disconnected youth is taken into consideration, a more empowering narrative can arise from the youth.
     Through authentic youth engagement educator’s, child welfare providers and other adults can begin to inquire and identify interests, strengths, and other elements of giftedness among disconnected youth. Authentic youth engagement encourages the reflection of disconnected youth’s developmental capital. Authentic youth engagement occurs through youth-adult partnerships, where the adults respect young people as having significant contributions to offer. In authentic youth engagements, young adults have the opportunity to have responsibility for making meaningful decisions and working as equal partners with adults. The partnership will provide a means for the demonstration of the youth’s developmental capital. Developmental capital is the essential skills these youth utilize to survive and develop their best selves, which is most easily expressed within safe, stimulating resourced spaces. Developmental capital is a composite of one’s strengths, values, competencies, resources and support.

In this last hour of Georgia’s Gifted Education Month, I want to celebrate by recognizing

the developmental capital of disconnected youth which reveal high potentiality and traits, aptitudes and behaviors of giftedness. Disconnected youth offer substantial untapped sources of talent and they too require gifted education and talent development services. 

Happy Gifted Education Month

Octavia Fugerson is an educational psychologist with a focus on the cognitive processes and social/emotional support of gifted and creative disconnected youth. She received her Masters of Education in Gifted and Creative Education and her Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Cognition and Development at the University of Georgia. She is currently seeking opportunities to speak, collaborate and consult. She can be contacted at OFDevelopmentalServices@gmail.com.

Does The History of American Descendants of Slavery Contribute to the Status of Disconnected Youth

Does The History of American Descendants of Slavery
Contribute to the Status of Disconnected Youth

From the Desk of Octavia Fugerson, M.Ed, Ph.D Applied Cognition and Development February 2020

     
     This Black History Month, I wanted to do something special, as I am amidst stirring attention and interest to the developmental capital of disconnected youth. The term “disconnected” describes the distance in experience from the social norm of youth with adequate resources. “Disconnected” describes the lack of sufficient resources for a comfortable quality of living, including access to land, family and employment. Disconnected youth include, but is not limited to, youth in foster care, homeless youth, juvenile delinquents or youth incarcerated, and migrant youth like youth who are displaced from their home state. Briefly stated, developmental capital is a composited of strengths, competencies, values, supports and resources. It is the essential skills used to develop one's best self. As an educational psychologist, this month my mind wondered to the experience of disconnected youth, rooted in the context of the socio-cultural & historical matters associated with American Descendants of Slavery. 
     Studying high potential or gifted disconnected youth, and parsing out the experience of those who are of the American Descendants of Slavery, highlight a harsh past associated with navigating separation from parents, access to low resources, and trauma associated with institutionalization in pursuit of well being. In 2019, I sat in a presentation provided by The Haywood Burns Institute that provided a historical review of the American child welfare system. In response to that experience, an awareness was raised to some elements of the history of American Descendant of Slavery and possible interplay to the current state of disconnected youth, within the child welfare system, education system and juvenile justice system. I wondered, "How have the history of American Descendants of Slavery affected the current status of disconnected youth?" Through a review of current outcome differences between ethnic groups, a racial and ethnic equity lens emerged when regarding conditions associated with economics, housing stability, mass incarceration, teen pregnancy and education.

Economics 

       Youth whom have a lineage shared with American Descendants of Slavery, have a history of limited access to resources and limited opportunities for social mobility. This is partly as a result of being perceived as commodities or tools for others to make money, and being caste to the bottom of the economic system, through slavery and other systematic efforts. The lack of resources and opportunities to be unbothered by those of higher political power may have resulted in conditions that led individual American Descendants of Slavery into having their children placed in the custody of the state. Examples of such conditions include death of parent, neglect or inability to take care of basic needs, such as providing food, clean living or medical care; or illness, not excluding drug abuse.
     Currently measures of economic security for disconnected youth are tied to one’s connection to work or educational credentials obtained. There are efforts to increase the financial capability of disconnected youth, such as youth who have experienced foster care, homelessness, incarceration or migration/displacement. Efforts are made through connecting young people to work opportunities, supporting their educational pursuits, and developing their abilities to manage budgets, yet the struggle persists for disconnected youth to achieve economic security.
     For example, data reveals for disconnected youth, economic hardships are faced at higher rates than their peers, without foster care experience (Jim Casey Youth Opportunity Initiative Housing Stability Infrographic YLI (2019). Even though these youth may work, it is reported that they are likely to experience at least one economic hardship, illustrated through they're inability to pay rent, utility bills or phone services. Data also shows that disconnected youth, including those with a lineage of American Descendants of Slavery, require relationships, resources and opportunities to ensure well being and success. I’ve come to question if the persistent bottom casting of American Descendants of Slavery, through limited access to land, employment, education, and family connections, influences the current status of disconnected youth.

Housing 

     For example, the history of American Descendants of Slavery and their access to land and stable housing is not a beautiful one, where many were blessed abundantly. Jim Crow laws, Black Codes and Red-Lining, point to policies that were put in place to keep American Descendants of Slavery from having such resources, as the group were considered property and bottom casted within the economy. Data shows that the lack of stable housing or homelessness is an issue that is more likely experienced by disconnected youth, such as the one's involved with the foster care system. Homelessness increases the risk for sexual victimization, substance abuse, incarceration, and physical and mental health concerns (Jim Casey Youth Opportunity Initiative Housing Stability Infrographic YLI (2019). Currently black youth are deemed to face homelessness or couch surfing higher than other racial ethnic groups. Data on the black racial group has not been desegregated for American Descendants of Slavery. What percentage of American Descendants of Slavery are apart of the black ethnic group? I don't know, but I assume more, than less.

Mass Incarceration 

     During times when the homeless or those without land, could not find a home, it seems jail or prison served as the societal-chosen alternative solution for the troubled. Historically, the racial, economic, and social disadvantages for American Descendants of Slavery have created a disproportionate representation in the American penal system. Currently, a significant number of disconnected youth face incarceration or adjudication, more than their peers not in foster care. Does the history of incarceration and American Descendants of Slavery speak to the pattern that exist among disconnected, incarcerated youth now? I have more questions than answers. However, I do know that for African-American men, being in prison or jails is more common than being employed, especially if the black individual is without a high school diploma.

Education 

      As you could imagine, if individuals are presumed property, they are not thought to need property. That belief may extend to the idea that there is only need for individuals- presumed as property to pursue anything beyond the function desired of those in power. Such a belief may trickle down in policy and practices that support ideas that American Descendants of slavery only need basic education, indicative of the overturning decision of Brown v. Board of Education (1954). If we look to our disconnected youth, such as those who have experienced foster care, we can see a lack of equitable, quality educational experiences still exist. For example, black youth are disproportionately underrepresented in gifted education programs and there is little to no data describing disconnected youth participation in gifted education or talent development services. An example of the successful efforts yet to be made in achieving quality education for American Descendants of Slavery, or disconnected youth, is reflected in data that points to an overrepresentation of black children - involved with the child welfare system, in special education programs; or with a higher number of experiences with harsh punitive practices such as significantly higher rates of suspension. Generally, young people in the general populations receive high school diplomas and/or post-secondary credentials at a higher rate than young people transitioning out of foster care. Is the desire for disconnected youth to be educated valued, any different than policymakers and professional's past value of education for American Descendants of Slavery? Without quality educational experience what were American Descendants of Slavery left to do? What are disconnected youth doing without developmentally appropriate education?

Teen Pregnancy 

     It is only natural for youth to pursue their own interests. Natural biological maturation leads to puberty, ability to procreate, and interest in sex. With limited developmentally appropriate, stimulating activities, youth may find themselves having sex and being with child. Young people who age out of foster care are more likely to have early or unintended pregnancies (Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting Support Infographic YLI, 2019). The reproductive worth of American Descendants of Slavery were essential to the young country’s expansion for labor. History of American Descendants of Slavery includes separation of families, as property and tools were divided amongst the elite, resourced, or those not bottom caste to fill labor shortings. 

      These days, disconnected youth, such as young expectant and parenting youth in foster care, are less likely to be employed and when they are employed, earn less than their childless peers. The past intervention into the private lives of American Descendants of Slavery was harsh. Those not black did receive a different experience than the systemic breeding associated with the interference in normal sexual patterns to increase fertility of American Descendants of Slavery. Historically, those of the general population received encouragement of making large families, through a combination of rewards, improved living and working conditions for fertile women and their children, and improved policy. Do the past systemic engagements with American Descendants of Slavery, regarding fertility, show similarities to the experience of expectant and parenting youth of today?

Conclusion 

     How do the current conditions of disconnected youth connect to historical matters of America? While reparations are not enthusiastically offered as a solution to the negative outcomes of American Descendants of Slavery, there can be value in recognizing the efforts to promote the wellbeing and success of disconnected youth. For example, to meet the needs of young people transitioning from foster care to adulthood, a system-change effort is made at the local, state and national level to advance policy and practice. For young people, who have spent at least one day in foster care, between the ages of 14 to 26 years old, as they transition into adulthood, efforts are made to provide equitable access to the resources, relationships and opportunities needed to achieve positive well-being and success. While I wonder if the black representation of disconnected youth have a large representation of the lineage of American Descendants of Slavery, the whole population of disconnected youth are vulnerable and valueable. Disconnected youth offer substantial untapped sources of talent and require the context of their personal lives to be fully acknowledged in efforts to promote their wellbeing and developmental capital. 

       Instead of looking at American Descendants of Slavery as capital and figuring what they can do for other individuals, or institutions - for little or no benefit to them, the educational psychologist in me ask we intentionally shift our perspective to their developmental capital and their humanity, which requires the same quality of public services as their peers who are not bottom casted. Racial and ethnic backgrounds should be acknowledged in order to provide equitable access to pillars of positive well-being like: stable housing, educational success, and economic security. Giving attention to the socio-cultural historical context of the nuanced groups, within the disconnected youth population, provides perspective that sheds light on the implication of history. As the voices of individuals with lived experiences are amplified and listened to, we stir innovative methods to promote equitable practices, positively affect communities, and begin to increase well-being and quality of living for another group of humans.

Happy Black History Month.

Octavia Fugerson is an educational psychologist with a focus on the cognitive processes and social/emotional support of gifted and creative disconnected youth. She received her Masters of Education in Gifted and Creative Education and her Doctorate of Philosophy in Applied Cognition and Development at the University of Georgia. She is currently seeking opportunities to speak, collaborate and consult. She can be contacted at OFDevelopmentalServices@gmail.com.

Male Teen Parent Legal Support Encouragement

Excerpt from my Discussion Post related to Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting Support for Expectant and Parenting Youth in Foster Care

[Still getting into the habit of sharing content.]

I'm interested in exploring methods to increase racial equity practices for teen male parents. Youth with foster care experience often are without financial privilege for a myriad of reasons, including the lack of financial support from their parents. Young adults, who are not able to contribute financially to the well-being of their child or children, face vicious consequences, including, but not limited to incarceration and fines. It's considered a federal offense to not be able provide child support money regularly, and regard to social dynamics, such as having foster care experience, is taken little to none. Facing penalties, like having a driver license suspended, for example, often create other issues in areas of employment, finances, relationships and mental healthy.There are other valuable contributions to child support, separate from finances. The circumstance of expectant and parenting youth who has experienced foster care is challenging enough. Let's not penalize young adults for circumstances they could not control.Our youth are vulnerable; such severe penalties related to finances are not developmentally appropriate for some of the youth effected by federal and/ or state child support policies. I'm interested in offering care and stirring legal support to expectant and parenting youth in foster care, by having less severe child support penalties, related to finances, especially for those who are contributing.


May this post be shared for my documentation of a passion point.

#parentingsupport #youngparents #childsupport #fostercare #care #safety #finances #economicEmpowerment #RemoveTheBarriers

Tay's Gift of Words Dispensary

Tay's Gift of Words Dispensary

is a casual way for Tay to offer custom writing to meet your needs. The content is original, the prices are friendly and the response is fast. 

I am now offering casual writing services of quality, through Dr. O.F. Developmental Services, LLC. Feel free to request services, such as

• poetic dedications (for celebrations, praises or breakups)
• poetry (poetic ensemble of expressions)
• short stories (for entertainment, with vivid descriptions, messages of care and life lessons)
• bits of knowledge/research
• speech consultation
• review and editing of papers (for school or competitions)
• opinion pieces (social, academic, political)
• solicited advice
• program or curriculum development (icebreakers, engaging activities for events)
• debrief facilitation (facilitated reflections/review of an experience for clarity)
• a reason to give (in case you just feel like making a donation)
• mixtape reviews
• interviews ad transcriptions

To receive services, complete the request form. In order to receive your writing piece, you will be required to describe the project or services desired, provide a down payment and a contact number for follow-up discussion. 

Tay's Words Dispensary is in development. With time, you will witness it evolve.

For now and moving forward, I'll appreciate your support of giving me the opportunity of doing something I love, casually, to the benefits of others, and as a means to support myself.

Can I be your Mirror? - Facilitating Reflection

Taking the form of a sounding wall to help release creative energy, gain clarity, develop ideas. 

Despite my interest in psychology, I never was confident that I could be a good therapist. I always felt like I didn't have the tolerance to hear people whining about their issues. I thought I was going to recommend something that would be damaging. More often than not, growing up, I heard more encouraging words towards stupidity, suicide or other shit that I wasn't sure I had the highest capacity to fully encourage positivity.  I think it was rightfully so that instead of counseling, I came to research. Awhhh, that's refreshing to say because I didn't think I would be a researcher either. Didn't think too much of myself, but that's neither here or there.

Or maybe it is here... In not thinking too much of myself, it might explain how I came to this moment of wanting to serve as a mirror to others. Now I can't say that I'll be the most transparent, crystal clear mirror. Of course, it's Tay tinted with a hint of awkward greatness. But I think the practice of thinking so little of myself, has allowed me to amplify other's selves to the benefit of others.

It's also the practice of recognizing self in others that helps me recognize familiar concepts that maybe placed differently and provide insight that is relevant, relatable, and practical. As a result of my complex, diverse experience, I have transformed into a stained glass that is often approached by others for them to see pieces of themselves within me. I welcome individuals to come and match and mismatch and detach pieces of themselves next to pieces of me. For I am one instrument, I use to provoke the change I would like to see. 

Reflection has been a valuable process throughout my development of life, as it has allowed me to take the time to process what I have observed and consumed to understand how it has impacted my stance. Reflection has provided me and others the opportunity to recognize where we are in relations to others and recognize our positionality, within the larger scales of a context.

Outside of self, I want to be a mirror that amplifies specs and blemishes, with hope to understand more of their nature. I want to be a guide as facilitating the analysis of reason, calling forth experiences, beliefs and perceptions. I want to stand with people in their discomfort and transformation as they recognize and move to work beyond their assumptions. The value to identifying misunderstandings is finding the areas of growth that come with the recognition of unfitting assumptions. 

I don't assume that in serving as someone mirror that we will end our moment of reflection on the same page. That won't happen every time. There are some mirrors that end of broken, some mistakenly, some out of frustration, some out of irrelevancy and irritation of unnecessary space it is taken up. At the end of our reflection - the questioning of our experience, rather by journaling, small group conversation, or photo scrapping - the point is to acquire personal understanding. We traverse this journey together to understand the nature of what is true and truth to you. 

Dr. TayTold'ya 's Mirror Lab
is a space to reflect upon experiences of interest to gain a deeper understanding of those experiences to your self and other elements of your liking. May the comment section of this post serve as our designated space to reflect on opportunities youth in transition may be interested in exploring. 

With the intent to recognize the greater impact an experience has had on you, enter into Dr. TayTold'ya Mirror Lab by starting to fill in the following template. Start with guiding sentence then elaborate to your liking.

I'd like to reflect on how ... effected ....

This space for activity may also be used for those who may not understand how one thing has effected another. Feel free to share experiences, and ask questions of the possible effects. I will share the insight I have, which may be limited, or even incorrect, but it will also provide a baseline for cognitive exploration. 

I hope you comment so that I can have the satisfaction of being a partner in thought to you. Thanks.

For organizations interested in a more in-depth face to face, group facilitation for youth in transition, please contact me for me information at ofdevelopmentalservices@gmail.com.

Product of O.F.Developmental Services, LLC.