"Knowing Who I Am" by Terrance Cauley

In the fourth episode of the series, Georgia talks to Terrance Cauley, senior director in the Department of Youth, Family, and Clinical Services at Better Family Life Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri. Terrance highlights the importance of offering historically marginalized Black youth opportunities for self-definition, and discusses how he does this through his work in out-of-school time programming.

Terrance reads from his essay “Knowing Who I Am,” and shares how his grandfather—his afterschool specialist and before care provider—and his African cultural identity played a significant role in shaping his early life, and how identity work “drives youth toward a point of cultural pride,” which is the foundation of his work with Black youth.

Terrance’s essay appears in the book co-edited by NIOST, The Heartbeat of the Youth Development Field: Professional Journeys of Growth, Connection, and Transformation. Through both research and personal essays, the book shines a light on the intricate connections between research and practice, touching upon both the vulnerability and triumph of youth development work. The passionate voices of youth workers in this volume lead to the inescapable conclusion that programs and policies for youth must be informed by these same voices and the values they express.

 

About the National Institute on Out-of-School-Time:

For 40 years, NIOST has been a leader in defining, shaping, and promoting out-of-school time (OST) as a distinct professional field with evidence-based quality standards. We bridge the worlds of research and practice to provide OST directors, staff, planners, school administrators, community leaders, and others with research, training, evaluation, and consultation to enhance and improve the quality of programs for all children and youth. https://niost.org

NIOST is a program of Wellesley Centers for Women, a research and action institute at Wellesley College that is focused on women and gender and driven by social change. https://www.wcwonline.org

 

About Terrance Cauley:

Terrance L. Cauley is a Senior Director in the Department of Youth, Family & Clinical Services at Better Family Life, Inc., a 501c3 Social Service Agency in St. Louis, Missouri.  Terrance has extensive experience in youth programs and research in the area of youth conflict resolution/prevention, healthy relationships, black youth culture & identity, and the use of affective praxis in academics, athletics & activism. Terrance has researched, written and presented work at various academic and professional development seminars over the last 25 years. He is currently building on this concept in a forthcoming work titled, "BALLERS: Building Affective Learned Liberated Emotional Regulations Skills, in African American Youth through Academics, Athletics, Arts & Activism.”