Introducing Poetic Collage as Method: From the Voices of Girls of Color

In this paper, we introduce poetic collaging as a critical qualitative method through the narratives, experiences, and perspectives of Girls of Color. We deconstruct the process of developing an arts-based method using intersectional feminist frameworks, intentional and deep reflexivity, and the expertise of participants to illuminate the various elements that go into such an endeavor. We do this by applying poetic collaging to data from the Lavender Girls Project, an intersectional participatory study for and with Girls of Color from poor/working-class families. In this poetic collage analysis, we capture the essence of our participants’ lives, including their past, present, and futures. We also elaborate on their ways of knowing, which are grounded in intergenerational collective knowledge, and how they act on the knowledge they hold. We find that the intersectional perspectives of Girls of Color are made possible through the opportunities they have had to share space with one another to exchange ideas, views, and critiques of systemic oppression. We also find that our participants aspire greatly and have generative visions of their futures that include caring for their loved ones as much as caring for themselves. This paper contributes to the growing body of scholarship around the lives of Girls of Color with a focus on their education and demonstrates strengths-oriented methodological approaches for researchers seeking to examine the experiences of people from historically marginalized backgrounds.