Nkemka Anyiwo

Dr. Nkemka Anyiwo is an artist and youth advocate who is dedicated to supporting Black youth in cultivating loving and culturally affirmed realities where they can holistically thrive. She applies a multimethod, transdisciplinary approach to identify the cultural, communal, and contextual influences that shape how Black youth 1) make meaning of themselves and their society and 2)  engage in practices to promote joy, social justice, and personal and collective wellness. Across this work, she engages media and creativity as a tool to foreground the lived realities and voices of Black youth.

Core to Dr. Anyiwo’s work is the conviction that the brilliance and innovation of Black youth are essential to knowledge production and social transformation. She seeks to work in community with youth, and the important figures in their lives, to design research projects, policies, and programs that are grounded in a developmental science centering a holistic vision of Black humanity.

Dr. Anyiwo earned her MSW and PhD in Social Work and Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and BAs in Psychology and African American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Personal Website: www.nkemkaanyiwo.com
Research Website: www.blackyouthimpact.com
Twitter: @NkemkaA