About the Scholar: Pioneer Scholar Gabrielle is from Oakland, California, where she attended The College Preparatory School.
The Research:
Gabrielle completed a field study examining the treatment of Black and white teenagers at a department store in a predominantly white neighborhood of California. Observing eye contact, body distance, posture, and tone, Gabrielle analyzed the nonverbal messages that were sent to Black and white teenagers in the store. While the white teenagers were welcomed genially into the store, the Black teenagers were often ignored and, in some cases, even treated with hostility. Gabrielle’s study is a reminder of the racial discrimination that persists in America, and of the negative narratives about young Black people that still require dismantling.
