Presenter(s)

• Tyler Hughes, Graduate Student, Loyola University Chicago
• Patrice Leverett, Associate Professor, Loyola University Chicago

Abstract

This poster highlights how schools can function as Homeplaces, spaces of affirmation, healing, and resistance, for Black students. By addressing systemic inequities and centering on students’ cultural identities, Homeplace practices foster a sense of belonging, agency, and academic success. Key implications for practice include the role of school psychologists in advancing healing-centered supports, educators in building culturally responsive classrooms, and policymakers in ensuring equitable resources. School psychologists, administrators, and teachers will gain strategies to create affirming school climates that empower Black students’ identities and transform schools into sites of possibility.