Photography: Gioncarlo Valentine

Kerron

Keith F. Miller, Jr.May 31, 2016wesmiletoo

“As a mixed male, I have been called so many names. There have been people who have put me down as a person just because of my color and what I look like. They’ve stated that I won’t be able to accomplish my goals due to my sexual orientation and color. But I wish people would remember that I’m still a person, regardless of whether or not you consider me beautiful or ugly. I work hard to be successful, and those kind of words hurt.

When it comes to society’s representation of men of color, we are always portrayed as having natural, flawless, amazing bodies. But in reality, all of us don’t have society’s standard of the perfect body or killer arms, even if we are men of color. For some of us, if that’s what we want to look like, it’s something we work hard to accomplish. I know my body isn’t perfect, but on TV or music videos, society pretty much tells all men, especially men of color, that if you want to be accepted in this world, that’s what you need to be, period.

#WeSmileToo challenges society’s unfair standards of beauty, especially for men of color by showing we are all different in so many ways, and that it’s okay. It reminds all men of color to keep our heads up and smile.”

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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.