PhD Candidate in the Developmental Psychology program at the University of Michigan
Deaweh Benson is currently a doctoral student in the Developmental Psychology program at the University of Michigan. She investigates racism, health, and healing with a focus on Black adolescents and young adults who experience intersecting marginalized identities (e.g., race, class, gender). Her work is grounded in cultural-ecological frameworks, Black feminist theory, critical consciousness, and positive youth development. Deaweh earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College and her Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has worked in non-profits, research organizations, and academic institutions where she has examined socioemotional development, college student academic success, and the economic security of young adults.
Deaweh’s work broadly pursues three lines of research: (1) Examining the potential neurobiological embedding of structural racism (i.e., brain function and structure), (2) Investigating factors that protect youth from racism exposure (e.g., ethnic-racial identity, critical consciousness, and social support), and (3) Identifying opportunities for healing and transformation despite exposure to structural racism. Her current dissertation entitled, “Development in the Context of Racism: An Exploration of Health Risk and Resilience Among Black Adolescents and Young Adults,” includes three empirical investigations examining how individual-level racism (e.g., racial discrimination) and structural racism (e.g., deadly gun violence, police contact) relate to a range of health outcomes including amygdala function, anxiety, and depression. In this work, Deaweh assesses whether broad sources of social support received from family, peers, romantic partners, and mentors promote resilience despite racism exposure. She also tests whether poverty further compounds disadvantage and constrains opportunities to demonstrate resilience.