Current Research Projects
The Art of Labour
Launching in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Philadelphia throughout 2026, The Art of Labour centers visionary artists whose work explores themes of labour, work, value, sustainability, and contemporary life. Each event is designed as both an exhibition and a meaningful cultural exchange. Creating space for artists to share not only their work, but the ideas, stories, and lived experiences behind their practice.
These exhibits root in one of Beloved Community’s core values: Create with Abundance: We deeply believe that there is enough for everyone. It is our duty to make space, to co-create, and to imagine abundant possibilities in ourselves and our communities. It is our time to build just futures and to do so from a place of abundance.
The inaugural dinner in Los Angeles featured the work of Will Raojenina for The Art of Labour: Abundance, Despite. Will adeptly explores the ways that communities transform limitation into abundance and create opportunities from their realities. So many of the themes present in Raojenina’s work evoke different aspects of our beloved community.
Learn more about how we’re exploring art as a Way of Knowing.
Previous Projects
PAR Houston
The purpose of this study is to explore the socio-economic challenges of Black and Latine communities in Houston during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This study used participatory action research (PAR) by training five community researchers in mixed-methods research using surveys and focus groups.
PAR aims to change the traditional balance of power in research and education by recasting study participants as authorities on the production of knowledge. Using PAR, the lead researcher and community researchers used a mixed methods approach by developing a survey and focus group guide. The socio-ecological model, critical race theory, and language justice guided our methodological approach. Researchers used purposive and snowball sampling strategies to recruit Black and Latinx Houston residents.
NOLA C.A.R.E.S.
Through NOLA C.A.R.E.S. (Creating Access, Resources and Equity for Success), Beloved Community trained a wide variety of Early Childhood Educators in participatory research, and coordinated access to public policy advocacy for the issues identified by the PAResearchers. The project seeks to align policy and practice across sectors so Black & Latine mothers working in caregiving professions are valued and build wealth as the entrepreneurs, workforce, and beneficiaries of high-quality employer-supported child care. NOLA C.A.R.E.S. was developed by a cooperative of twelve organizations, led by Beloved Community.
Youth Participatory Action (YPAR) Academy
The YPAR Academy is a hybrid summer program for high school students (ages 14-18). Students conceptualize, design, carry out, and analyze a research question that is important to them as youth in the community and to their community. As part of their final showcase, students present their methodologies, findings, recommendations and workshop pilot ideas with trusted adults in their school or workplace.
Learn more about the 2025 YPAR academy in Kansas City.
YPAR is an innovative approach to positive youth and community development based in social justice principles. Through participatory action research, young people are trained to conduct systematic research to improve their lives, their communities, and the institutions intended to serve them.
Equity in Schools Study
Beloved Community studied best practices, accountability measures, and trends in eliminating structural racism & bias in schools across the US. The Equity in School study had two research purposes:
1.) Validate the Awa Equity Audit for use with different types of schools and school networks.
2.) Identify the ways that school communities respond to, and prioritize change based on their Equity Audit results.
As a result, this research process provided clarity on the utilization of the Equity Audit and Equity Lens Map tools, as well as recommendations for how educators and education philanthropy could leverage research-based tools to improve equity and inclusion for students, families, and educators.
This study was made possible by a 3-year research grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
To learn more about this study, Click Here to view the full research brief.