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Thank you for your interest in the North Carolina and South Carolina Black Church Study. Nearly all submissions have been reviewed, though the process has taken longer than expected due to a high volume of entries and the need to verify each one carefully. Many responses were flagged for potential bot activity or other irregularities, which required additional review. Submissions that cannot be verified will be respectfully removed from the final dataset, and individuals will not receive compensation for those entries. We expect to send updates to all individuals by or before August 11, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. In the meantime, I remain in contact with participating churches and plan to begin in-person data collection this fall. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Regards,
Pamela Martin
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.