About Us
Black Families Flourishing focuses on the well-being of Black families in America through strengths-based research, partnership, capacity building, and communications.
The “Who” Matters: Meet the BFF Team
Black Families Flourishing (BFF) began in 2024 as a multi-year project to conduct rigorous and transparent research focused on Black families in the United States. Our strengths-based research will establish a better understanding of the state of Black families’ well-being and the ways they interact with systems.
We will also collaborate with others interested in using our research to inform the policies, programs, and systems with which Black families engage. In an era of divisiveness and mistrust of research, BFF measures what matters.
Watch our short video to learn more about the project!
What We Stand For
- Our research will be transparent and strengths-based.
- Our research process will be collaborative.
- Our research will be accessible and action oriented.
- Our research will shift how research focused on Black families is conducted, used, and communicated.
- We will be a training ground for the next generation of researchers.
Learn About Our Logo
The BFF team chose our logo thoughtfully to reflect the way our team thinks about this work. We selected the color green because of its association with the land from which Black people were taken and the money made from Black people’s stolen labor, as well as its association with growth, regeneration, and prosperity.
The color black represents the Black people we center in our work. The circle encompassing the letter “B” symbolizes the communal, protective, cyclical, and generational nature of families and the interconnectedness of Black people across the African Diaspora. The lines on either side of the circle represent the connection between the historic foundation of Black families and their future.
Our logo was created by Rockland Page, an Indiana-based artist and entrepreneur who founded lifestyle brand [ROCKaBLOCK]. Page’s apparel and accessories highlight the richness and depth of Black culture through thought-provoking design.
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Our Team
Black Families Flourishing is led by Dr. Chrishana M. Lloyd, a researcher at Child Trends. Our team consists of Black-centric and culturally knowledgeable researchers, community advisors, Black families, and communicators.
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Dr. Chrishana M. Lloyd
Research Scholar, Early Childhood Systems Building, Child Trends
Project Role
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Dr. Manica F. Ramos
Senior Research Scientist II, Child & Family Well-Being Supports, Child Trends
Project Role
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Dr. Rebecca (Becki) Vivrette
Senior Research Scientist, Child & Family Well-Being Supports, Child Trends
Project Role
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Sage Caballero-Acosta
Senior Research Assistant, Early Childhood, Child Trends
Project Role
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Kenya Downing
Senior Research Assistant, Child Welfare, Child Trends
Project Role
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Dr. Quiana Lewis Wallace
Research Scientist II, Youth Development, Child Trends
Project Role
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Zakia Redd
Program Area Director, Youth Development, Child Trends
Project Role
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Dr. Shana Rochester
Research Scientist I, Early Childhood Education, Child Trends
Project Role
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Yosmary Rodriguez
Senior Research Analyst, Education, Child Trends
Project Role
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Ria Shelton
Senior Research Assistant, Parenting & Family Dynamics, Child Trends
Project Role
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Lauren Zarick
Senior Research Communications Specialist I, Client Communications, Child Trends
Project Role
Core Advisory Group
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Dr. Christina Cross
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Organization
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Dr. LesLeigh Ford
Associate Director, Office of Race and Equity Research
Organization
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Alycia Hardy
Vice President of Policy and Research
Organization
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Dr. Iheoma U. Iruka
Professor, Department of Maternal Child Health; Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Policy; Fellow, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute; Founding Director, Equity Research Action Coalition
Organization
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Dr. Latrice Rollins
Assistant Professor Community Health and Preventive Medicine and Director, National African American Child & Family Research Center
Organization
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Dr. Deadric Williams
Associate Professor, Sociology
Organization
Topical and Technical Advisors
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Cristi Carmen
Vice President of Policy and Research, Stanford University
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Dr. Kiana Cox
Senior Researcher, Pew Research Center
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Dr. Michelle Bueno Vasquez
Post-doctoral Scholar, Princeton University
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Dr. Nana Afua Brantuo
VIP Lab Non-Residential Fellow, University of San Diego
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Dr. Robert Palmer
Department Chair and Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Howard University
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Dr. Valerie Grim
Director of Undergraduate Studies, African American and African Diaspora Studies and Professor, African American and African Diaspora Studies, Indiana University
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Dr. Velma McBride Murray
Lois Audrey Betts Chair in Education and Human Development and Professor of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University
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Eric Morrissette
Senior Policy Fellow and Deputy Secretary, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and Maryland Governor’s Office for Children
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Iesha Hicks
Family Representative Expert
Project Consultants
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Dr. Kristine Andrews
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Dr. Davia Brown-Franklyn
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Jerail Fennell
We would like to acknowledge staff that have worked on the Black Families Flourishing project but who are not actively engaged in project activities at this time — Keiyitho Omonuwa, Hannah Wodrich and Yuko Yadatsu-Ekyalongo.
Our Supporters
Support for the Black Families Flourishing Project is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
Get In Touch
Learn more about Black Families Flourishing and how you can support, or be a part of, our mission. Connect with a BFF team member.
