University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, Educational, School, and Counseling and Counseling Psychology Psychology 2018 EXPLORING CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, FACILITATING BLACK LIBERATION Della V. Mosley University of Kentucky, [email protected] Author ORCID Identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6404-6863 Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2018.402 Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Mosley, Della V., "EXPLORING CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, FACILITATING BLACK LIBERATION" (2018). Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology. 78. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edp_etds/78 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I agree that the document mentioned above may be made available immediately for worldwide access unless an embargo applies. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of my work. I understand that I am free to register the copyright to my work. REVIEW, APPROVAL AND ACCEPTANCE The document mentioned above has been reviewed and accepted by the student’s advisor, on behalf of the advisory committee, and by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), on behalf of the program; we verify that this is the final, approved version of the student’s thesis including all changes required by the advisory committee. The undersigned agree to abide by the statements above. Della V. Mosley, Student Dr. Candice Hargons, Major Professor Dr. Michael Toland, Director of Graduate Studies EXPLORING CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, FACILITATING BLACK LIBERATION DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education at the University of Kentucky By Della V. Mosley Lexington, Kentucky Co-Directors: Candice Hargons, PhD, and Danelle Stevens-Watkins, PhD Lexington, Kentucky 2018 Copyright © Della V. Mosley 2018 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION EXPLORING CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, FACILITATING BLACK LIBERATION The current study aimed to uncover processes and experiences that led individuals to critically engage in racial justice activism, specifically the Black Lives Matter movement. A constructivist grounded theory approach was utilized under critical-ideological and Black feminist paradigms in order to build a practical theory related to developing critical consciousness about oppression facing the Black community. Black activists in the movement between the ages of 23 and 60 (N=12) participated in intensive individual interviews. The result of the study is a co-constructed theory of racial justice activism development (the Critical Consciousness of Anti-Black Racism [CCABR] model) that can be used to increase psychopolitical wellness for Black people. In this model, developing CCABR started with witnessing ABR, required three interconnected methods of processing ABR to increase agency, and led to critical action against ABR. Results indicated that CCABR is a cyclical process through which each of the stages build upon and support one another. The CCABR model is discussed with respect to how it converges with, diverges from, and expands upon extant literature. Recommendations and implications associated with the CCABR model are delineated. KEYWORDS: Critical Consciousness, Racial Trauma, Anti-Black Racism, Activism, Black Lives Matter _________________________Della V. Mosley _________________________October 19, 2018 EXPLORING CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, FACILITATING BLACK LIBERATION By Della V. Mosley _________________________Candice Hargons, PhD Co-Director of Dissertation Danelle_________________________ Stevens-Watkins, PhD Co-Director of Dissertation _________________________Michael Toland, PhD Director of Graduate Studies _________________________October 19, 2018 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people who contributed to my advancement to the stage of completing a dissertation and specifically to the completion this dissertation. My family, mentors, friends, and the community of Black racial justice activists and healers all were critical to the creation of this work. Expressing gratitude in this formal, written manner is difficult as I owe so much to these people and know that words cannot reflect the deep sense of appreciation I have for them. I humbly submit these acknowledgments, given this awareness of how insufficient they will be at expressing my true gratitude. First and foremost, I want to thank my family. My parents Daryl and Lettie Mosley, along with my brother Daryl Jr. and sister DaShanda, have been my base. They have provided stability, support, and encouragement throughout my educational journey. Their unwavering belief in me and my potential pushed me to always strive to do my best for self, family, community, and the good of society. My parents instilled a sense of hard work and helped me to value education early on. The privilege of growing up in a two- parent household, where I was “forced” to sit at the table with my siblings and do homework before I could think of doing anything else after school was critical to my getting to this stage. My dad always said, “You have to be willing to do today what others won’t do so you can have tomorrow what others won’t have.” While this may read as though it is about working hard to be better than others, my parents are people who worked hard in order to give to others. They accrued privilege and relinquished it over and over again. I am a product of that process, as they worked hard and poured so much emotional and financial support into me over the years. They passed that trait onto me, such that I worked really hard to accrue this educational privilege that I now strive to iii relinquish to help others in (and beyond) the Black community. This dissertation focused on Black liberation is one of my examples of that process. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for every college tour, “loan,” lecture, prayer, conference attendance, piece of presentation feedback, and for your unwavering commitment to my holistic wellness and academic success. My brother and sister have also been instrumental in getting me to the Ph.inishe.D line. Seeing my brother get his master’s degree pushed me to move toward my doctorate. He has supported me and believed in me and I am so grateful for the love and care I received from my friend and brother. I also have to acknowledge his daughter, my niece Mila. I wanted to give up many times on this journey but because I wanted to be a role model for her and because I had been telling her that her auntie was going to be a doctor, I would not quit. Thank you for motivating me, Mila. DaShanda should have an honorary Ph.D. for holding me down through this academic journey. Thank you for the many, many ways that you supported me over the years. You put your life on pause to come to Lexington and help me along my path. You gave me feedback on my work, helped me to practice self-care, and were the ultimate backhaver time and time (and time and time) again. Beyond this incredible core, my extended family has held me down. My squad of cousins, aunts and uncles, godfamily, and my grandmother Ma Rainy have been my motivation. As a whole, my family supported me as I moved away to pursue something that is personally meaningful but that we could all be proud of and I thank you for your sacrifices and support. I want to thank my dissertation committee for their guidance, advice, and support as I worked on this dissertation and doctorate. Dr. Candice Hargons, I extend my deep gratitude to you for teaching me how to conduct qualitative research from a Black iv feminist, social justice framework. Your mentorship on this and many other projects helped me to learn not only important methods, but how to apply them in a manner that honored the communities I care so deeply for and how to teach them to students in an engaging manner. Thank you for providing the opportunity to serve as your research assistant; learning from and collaborating with you has been a true gift. Dr. Stevens- Watkins, your mentorship throughout my doctoral journey was priceless. Semester after semester you selflessly poured your wisdom into me and helped me to hone my skills and identity as a culturally mindful counseling psychologist. No one has contributed more to my growth as a scientist-practitioner and clinician. Thank you for seeing me to the finish line with my dissertation. Dr. Chamara Kwakye exposed me to Black feminist theory, allowed me to witness her #Blackgirlgenius as she co-created Saving Our Lives, Hear Our Truths Lexington edition, and was an incredible role model to me throughout my time at UK. Thank you for your support. Dr. Alicia Fedewa, thank you for being a consistent, calming, and committed member of my mentorship team.