Chapter 4: “The Rough Writerz”: Young Adolescent Boys Exploring, Constructing, and Recreating Racial Identities in an After School Program

The literacy performances of adolescent males of color have been a central theme of current educational debates. Much of these debates centered on perceived deficits in reading comprehension, leaving out discussions of the youths’ literacy strengths and writing practices. This chapter describes a young men’s after school writing program, as a space where middle school Black students were supported in their development of 21st century literacies through a digital writing workshop. In this chapter, we consider the role of literacy and digital practices in the young men’s negotiations of racial, ethnic, and cultural identity constructions and explorations. This research contributes to how middle level educational contexts can support youth in discovering the power of writing.