Episode 4 - The Visibility Gap: Black Girls in Education with Joel Dunn and Jade Ecobichon-Gray

How can schools move from good intentions to meaningful impact when it comes to safeguarding Black girls?

In this episode of the In This Together Podcast, Becky Dawson is joined by Joel Dunn, CEO and founder of the Paradigm Project, and Jade Ecobichon-Gray, social wellness and equity consultant and PhD researcher at the University of Cambridge. Together, they explore their groundbreaking report From Intention to Impact: A Cultural Humility Approach to Safeguarding Black Girls in Education.

We discuss:

• The origins of their partnership and how cultural humility training developed.
• What cultural humility really means – and how it differs from cultural competence.
• Why reflective practice is critical for educators.
• The visibility gap: when teachers believe they are inclusive but Black girls feel unseen.
• The impact of stereotypes, adultification, and the “strong Black girl” trope.
• How intersectionality shapes the lived experiences of Black girls.
• Why creating spaces of joy – not just safety – is vital.
• Recommendations for schools: protected time for reflection, embedding humility in teacher training, and shifting how we measure success.

🔗 Read the full report: From Intention to Impact

https://paradigmproject.co.uk/research/from-intention-to-impact/

Sharing is Caring Recommendation

🔗 See the foundational Milk Honey Bees report See Us, Hear Us https://milkhoneybees.co.uk/see-us-hear-us-on-girlhood-and-growing-up-black-in-lambeth/

This powerful conversation challenges educators and leaders to reflect deeply, act intentionally, and ensure that Black girls are truly seen, heard, and supported in education.

✨ Key takeaways from this episode:

• Intention is not the same as impact – action and accountability must follow.
• Cultural humility requires ongoing self-reflection, not one-off training.
• Black girls face both invisibility and hyper-visibility in school settings.
• Adultification robs Black girls of childhood and increases safeguarding risks.
• Schools must create spaces of belonging and joy, not just avoidance of harm.
• Embedding reflective practice supports both student and educator wellbeing.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:06 Joel & Jade’s Collaboration and Early Work

04:22 What Is Cultural Humility?

07:18 The Importance of Reflection in Education

13:04 Turning the Lens Inwards – Racial Identity & Whiteness

16:46 Intention vs. Impact in Schools

21:46 Visibility Gaps and Wellbeing Impacts

23:36 Stereotypes, Adultification, and the Strong Black Girl Trope

29:49 Personal Reflections and Intersectionality

33:53 Disclosure, Trust, and Identity as Non-Monolith

37:55 The Case for Protected Reflective Practice

43:19 Systemic Change and Upstream Thinking

48:29 Rethinking What Schools Measure

50:27 Final Recommendations & Resources

54:14 Closing Remarks