Dr. Kamilah B. Legette, joins HOPE’s Director of Training and Technical Assistance, Amanda Winn, for the third vlog in our new series, HOPE Block by Block. This series highlights the work of Black practitioners, scholars, researchers, and community activists during the month of February. In this third episode, Dr. Legette will address the HOPE building block of relationships. The relationship building block is about children having healthy, close, positive relationships within the family, with other children, and with other adults.
Dr. Legette is an assistant professor in the Psychology Department and director of the Reducing Inequities in Student Education (R.I.S.E.) Lab at the University of Denver. Her interdisciplinary research investigates ways individual and institutional racial biases impact youth academic performance and social-emotional and identity development. The goal of this work is to uncover processes contributing to racial disparities in school that will inform effective interventions, school policy changes, and teacher preparation programs that will optimize healthy development and achievement in youth. In the below video, Dr. Legette talks about ways teachers, especially white teachers, can form more meaningful relationships with students of color.
The HOPE National Resource Center believes that Black history is American history, and we are honored to have Dr. Legette join us in recognizing the contributions of this community. Celebrating Black history is relevant to all four Building Blocks of HOPE, and our February vlogs will share ways for organizations and communities to promote access to the Building Blocks of HOPE for Black and African American families throughout the year. Although we are focusing on Black history during February, we will continue to acknowledge and honor Black history all year long.
