The RISE Lab investigates how preadolescents—especially Black girls and preteens of color—navigate developmental change within the social worlds they occupy. We study puberty not just as a biological transition, but as a deeply social and cultural experience shaped by ethnicity-race, gender, adultification, body politics, and identity.
Our work is grounded in Black Feminist and Womanist theories, and guided by an intersectional framework that centers lived experience and challenges deficit-based models in developmental science. We examine how social contexts—such as schools, families, and peer networks—influence both resilience and vulnerability during critical life transitions.
Through culturally responsive, community-engaged research, we elevate the voices of those often unheard in traditional developmental research. We believe development is not just a matter of growth, but a time to make space: for voice, for identity, for justice—and to take up space: in our bodies, in our stories, and in our communities.
Our Solidarity and Anti-Racism Statement
As a lab, we acknowledge that the University of Michigan resides in the Three Fire Peoples Traditional Territories—the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadmi. As we work, live, and play on these territories, we must keep in mind the ongoing effects of colonization, communities’ struggle for self-determination, colonial state violence, and the recognition of indigenous sovereignty. We affirm the Black Lives Matter movement and inclusive and diverse research efforts. We support and celebrate people of all identities—race, ethnicity, religion, class, creed, ability, sex, gender, and sexual orientation and hold pride in the diversity of our lab members, participants, and country. We, as people and researchers, acknowledge that non-racism is not enough to claim, but identifying microaggressions, implicit bias, stereotypes, and prejudices is very important to identify and learn about as a group. We encourage everyone to condemn racism and discrimination, work to dismantle oppressive systems, and create inclusive spaces.
Select Publications
- , , & (2024). Gender messages in girls’ puberty books: A focus on parent representation. Journal of Adolescence, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12439
- Carter, R. and Flewellen, A.O. (2022), Ethnic-Racial Socialization Among Mothers of Black and Black-White Biracial Daughters During the Pubertal Transition. J Res Adolesc, 32: 99-114. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12724
- Blazek, J. L., Saint Arnault, D. M., & Carter, R. (2022). Breasts, Butts, and Thighs—Oh My! Weight Spurt and Body Image Messages in Girls’ Puberty Books. Journal of Adolescent Research, 07435584221076052.
- Seaton, E. K., & Carter, R. (2021). Puberty, depressive symptoms, and neighborhood context among African American and Caribbean Black males. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.umich.edu/10.1037/cdp0000512
- Carter, R., Blazek, J. L., & Kwesele, C. (2020). Perceptions of pubertal timing relative to peers: Comparison targets and social contexts of comparison. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 26(2), 221.
- Blazek, J. L. & Carter, R. (2019). Understanding disturbed eating in Black adolescents: Effects of gender identity, racial identity and perceived puberty. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 20(2), 252.
- Carter, R., Mustafaa, F., Leath, S., & Butler-Barnes, S. T. (2018). Teachers’ academic and behavioral expectations and girls’ pubertal development: Does the classroom learning environment matter? Social Psychology of Education, 1-28. doi: 1007/s11218-018-9450-1
- Carter, R., Halawah, A., & Trinh, S. L. (2018). Peer exclusion during the pubertal transition: The role of social competence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47, 121 – doi: 10.1007/s10964-017-0682-8
- Carter, R., Seaton, E., & Rivas-Drake, D. (2017). Racial identity in the context of pubertal development: Implications for adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 53, 2170 – doi: 10.1037/dev0000413
- Butler-Barnes, S. T., Leath, S., Williams, A., Byrd, C. M., Carter, R., & Chavous, T. M. (2017). Promoting resilience among African American girls: Racial Identity as a protective factor. Child Development. doi:10.1111/cdev.12995.
