“My Future”: A Qualitative Examination of Hope in the Lives of Black Emerging Adults

William Terrell Danley (), Benson Cooke and Nathalie Mizelle
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William Terrell Danley: Division of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20032, USA
Benson Cooke: Division of Education, Health, and Social Work, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Nathalie Mizelle: Division of Education, Health, and Social Work, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008, USA

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: The presence of hope significantly influences how youth interpret possibilities and commit to future-oriented action. This qualitative study investigates how fifteen Black emerging adults, ages eighteen to twenty-five, living in a major United States urban city on the East Coast, describe their aspirations, goal-setting strategies, and responses to personal and structural challenges. Participants were categorized as connected or disconnected based on their engagement in school, work, or training programs. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis of interviews, the research identified key differences in agency, emotional orientation, and access to guidance between the two groups. Connected participants often described clear, structured goals supported by networks of mentorship and opportunity. Disconnected participants expressed meaningful hope, yet described fewer supports and greater uncertainty in achieving their goals. These findings highlight how consistent exposure to guidance and structured environments strengthens future orientation and internal motivation. These results deepen our understanding of how young people experience hope across diverse contexts and show that mentorship, intentional goal setting, and greater access to opportunity play a vital role in sustaining hopeful thinking during the transition to adulthood.

Keywords: emerging adulthood; hope theory; Black youth; goal setting; mentorship; urban education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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