Keith F. Miller, Jr.

The Pain That Drove Me to Write

As a teaching artist of creative writing, I know firsthand how therapeutic and empowering it can be to put a pen to paper. But I also know how, as a young man, ... Go Deeper

They Were Always There

We talk a lot about the importance of male role models. But the rhetoric often stops at young men simply needing to see and examples of older men. However, the ... Go Deeper

Loving Through Everyone Else

Whether it’s the shows we watch or the outcomes of our early-childhood crushes, they all influence how we grow and develop--and even how we see ourselves. So wh... Go Deeper

The Purpose

In an ever-increasingly digital world, our ability to truly connect in a way that allows us to talk and really listen has waned. We can get access to and consum... Go Deeper

The Nightingale

The Nightingale, an early-twentysomething from New Orleans, has experienced a lot. From surviving early childhood trauma to struggling to navigate the world as... Go Deeper

Sensuality. Sex. Intimacy.

What is sensuality? What is intimacy? Are they the same thing or different? More importantly, how do they affect our views on sex, love, and relationships? To ... Go Deeper

Intimacy Among Friends

What does intimacy look like between men who are friends? Does it look any different between a straight man and a gay man? Both are very complicated questions ... Go Deeper

Brave Men Step Out of the Box

Real men _________. What would you write in the blank? Is it something that men are generally expected to do? Or is it something different, maybe even what soci... Go Deeper

The Odd Man Out

We all search for beauty. In the people we meet. In the things we encounter around us. But so many of us stop there, and are afraid to own the beauty within. W... Go Deeper

The Storyteller

The Storyteller, a late twentysomething from the midwest, is an African-American of Creole descent. His warm energy and kind smile are at once disarming and al... Go Deeper

Pin It on Pinterest

The Healing Literacy Framework

In 2019, Keith F. Miller, Jr., observed something remarkable while running creative writing after school programs in Savannah, GA: Students from all backgrounds didn’t just step outside their comfort zones—they learned, led, and thrived with unmistakable joy. Despite this, Keith heard from students and families that school, even for the high-achievers, was a place they survived, not thrived. This led Keith, through his studies in Educational Psychology, to explore why young people felt empowered to learn, lead, and heal in some spaces but not in others.

Through a qualitative research study involving interviews with high schoolers, fellow teaching artists over a year, in addition to examining creative works from youth journals and performances, Keith found that when young people engage in arts-based healing practices with trusted others (peers and adults), they don’t just cope with their struggles—they transform them, becoming vibrant leaders in the process.

Drawing inspiration from the process of rainbow formation—reflection, refraction, and dispersion—and building off of groundbreaking research from scholars like David Kirkland, Gholdy Muhammad, Bettina Love, Bianca Baldridge, and Shawn Ginwright, Keith developed the Healing Literacy Framework, illustrating how arts-based, community programs are vital in supporting young people as they overcome educational trauma, and, in doing so, can result in transformative partnerships in school and beyond that prove healing is possible for everyone.

Enter, HEALIT

In 2019, Keith F. Miller, Jr., observed something remarkable while running creative writing after school programs in Savannah, GA: Students from all backgrounds didn’t just step outside their comfort zones—they learned, led, and thrived with unmistakable joy. Despite this, Keith heard from students and families that school, even for the high-achievers, was a place they survived, not thrived. This led Keith, through his studies in Educational Psychology, to explore why young people felt empowered to learn, lead, and heal in some spaces but not in others.

Through a qualitative research study involving interviews with high schoolers, fellow teaching artists over a year, in addition to examining creative works from youth journals and performances, Keith found that when young people engage in arts-based healing practices with trusted others (peers and adults), they don’t just cope with their struggles—they transform them, becoming vibrant leaders in the process.

Drawing inspiration from the process of rainbow formation—reflection, refraction, and dispersion—and building off of groundbreaking research from scholars like David Kirkland, Gholdy Muhammad, Bettina Love, Bianca Baldridge, and Shawn Ginwright, Keith developed the Healing Literacy Framework, illustrating how arts-based, community programs are vital in supporting young people as they overcome educational trauma, and, in doing so, can result in transformative partnerships in school and beyond that prove healing is possible for everyone.