This account examines three significant moments in a weekly reading and writing workshop in order to reflect on the problematic notion of “coming to voice” for African Caribbean girls aged 14 to 15. The author discusses the process as both a program and a research inquiry. The aim of the inquiry was to explore some academic, social, and affective concerns for girls of this age. Program objectives included introducing culturally and gender-relevant curricula as well as facilitating critical literacy skills. The research is framed from a critical Black feminist perspective. The design was qualitative. Ethnographic methods were used (audiotaped transcriptions of fieldnotes of workshop activities, formal and informal student interviews, and student journal writings). The author concludes by sharing how the inquiry taught her some salient lessons in listening to research participants' voices and in the politics and ethics of participatory literacy inquiries.
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