Photography: Gioncarlo Valentine

Ramon

Keith F. Miller, Jr.May 30, 2016wesmiletoo

“#WeSmileToo is important because it gives voice to all men of color, and displays that there are all varying types of men with different skin tones, body types, and personalities. It breaks barriers and implements change for the greater good, making us feel more comfortable in our skin and that different is beautiful.

This campaign represents a different way of thinking than society, going against stereotypical thought that you have to mean mug the camera, be masculine, muscular or athletic, to be a man. Instead, it encourages men of color to be who we are and lets us define ourselves.

As you look at the images in this campaign, feel the story that is being told, and listen to what each picture stands for.”

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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.

Ramon

This campaign represents a different way of thinking than society, going against stereotypical thought that you have to mean mug the camera, be masculine, muscular or athletic, to be a man. Instead, it encourages men of color to be who we are and lets us define ourselves.

As you look at the images in this campaign, feel the story that is being told, and listen to what each picture stands for.”

Pin It on Pinterest

The Healing Literacy Framework

Enter, HEALIT