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Thank you for your interest in the North Carolina and South Carolina Black Church Study. Unfortunately, the algorithms used to verify the accuracy of each submission have identified a substantial percentage of responses affected by automated bot activity and other irregularities. As a result, we are temporarily pausing data collection. In the meantime, I have been in contact with participating churches, for which I have received recruitment approval from the pastors, and plan to begin in-person data collection this fall. Thanks for your understanding!

Regards,

Pamela Martin 

The NC/SC Black Church Study Team

Dr. Pamela Martin

Principal Investigator

Pamela Martin is a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Clinical-Community Program, and African
American Studies Department at the
University of South Carolina. She is the Director, African American Faith Communities Project. Dr. Martin's research focuses on how Black churches help families, especially youth. 

Dr. Marketa Burnett

Co-Principal Investigator

Marketa Burnett is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Sciences and Africana Studies at the University of Connecticut. Her research has examined how Black parents (residential and non-residential) actively contribute to the positive development of their children and their ability to thrive using cultural assets and strategies such as religion.

Devin Weeks

Post-Baccalaureate Scholar

Devin is recent graduate of the University of South Carolina where he recieved his B.S. in Psychology in 2023. He currently works at a psychology private practice in Columbia, SC. His research interests focuses on racial-stress, coping mechanisms, and how race related messages are conveyed in the black church.

Kanyisile Barrett is an undergraduate student from Charleston, South Carolina, majoring in African American Studies with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of South Carolina. She plans to pursue a Ph.D., focusing her research on the untold stories of Black women and girls across the African diaspora. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and exploring the outdoors.

Undergraduate Scholar

Kanyisile Barrett

Rachel Garrett

Undergraduate Scholar

My name is Rachel Garrett, and I am from Ayden, North Carolina. I attend North Carolina Central University, where I am pursuing a B.A. in Psychology. My career goal is to become a clinical psychologist. I am particularly interested in understanding and addressing the impact of intergenerational trauma within Black communities. I aim to develop interventions that draw upon the cultural and spiritual support systems of the Black church, exploring innovative pathways for healing and resilience

Kai White

Undergraduate Scholar

Kai White is a first-year undergraduate student from Raleigh, North Carolina, currently majoring in psychology at North Carolina Central University. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in counseling psychology and become a child psychologist. Her research interests include examining how race-related trauma affects the development of African American children. In her free time, Kai enjoys listening to music and spending time with friends and family.

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