"Aya: The Enduring Spirit of Black Women in Higher Education" is a research study that sought out to better understand the experiences of Black women inside of higher education. Building off of two previous unpublished research studies that focused on the resources that enable Black women to stay in their programs, this study took a more…

No existing literature centers Black women college students (BWCS) who are targeted yet absent the discourse on anti-black incidents at the intersection of gender. Using a 42-case database, we highlight how BWCS are targeted with hate, discuss gender-based racial trauma fueled by these incidents, and share recommendations for higher education.

This study explores the intricate narratives and experiences of Black women navigating the landscape of post-secondary business education. Drawing from Black feminist theory, this research aims to shed light on the nuanced challenges and triumphs faced by Black women within the confines of business education. Employing qualitative methods,…

This study examined the lived experiences of Black girls at a Predominantly White Independent School (PWIS). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Black, female graduates of Arlington Hall, a private school in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Transcripts were analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to…

Drawing from Black Feminist Thought and Black Girl Cartography the author uses the domain-of-power framework to analyze the Black Girl Charting practices of Cierra, a Black girl student navigating racial history in a secondary classroom in the United States. She encounters the physical space as a site of interpersonal oppression and the U.S.…

Background/Context: An increasing body of literature reveals how systems of racism, sexism, and classism intersect to marginalize Black girls in contexts of schooling. Few studies have explored this topic from the perspectives of Black girls in all-girls independent schools pursuing antiracist school reform. Purpose/Objective/Research…

The demographics of people attending higher education institutions are changing as more women enroll and complete their studies. Initially not designed to educate women, and certainly not Black women, institutions of higher education do not show interest in exploring ways in which they could make their campuses more inclusive to Black women.…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to conduct an exploration of resilience and how it motivates Black women in graduate degree programs to persist through feelings of imposter syndrome. The related research question was: "How do Black women graduate degree completers build resilience?" While existing as a double minority…

This study considered the experiences of graduate sorority women in Black Greek-lettered organizations (BGLOs) with social activism, using contemporary examples like Black Lives Matter as a lens. BGLOs exist as part of the fraternity and sorority framework at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). These organizations provide networking,…

Community colleges have been an educational source for individuals to increase capital and social mobility. But the reality of these opportunities is not the same for all. First generation, low income, non-traditional minority students make up a large percentage of students enrolling in community colleges yet retention rates, primarily for African…

The Flexner Report (1910) established the assessment that provided the standards of medical education. Although the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) has updated standards to increase the diversity of medical students throughout the years, the percentage of Black medical students identifying as women has not increased as expected.…

Research is needed for us to be able to understand how Women of Color make meaning of their experiences in women's studies, especially Black women, whose experiences have not always been centered within women's studies (Elfman, 2009). Furthermore, it is important to distinguish Women of Color from Black women when investigating their lived…

The problem addressed in this study was that African American women do not receive adequate academic mentoring to complete graduate school. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to identify the effect of academic mentoring on African American female graduate students. A qualitative exploratory case study approach was selected to gain a…

This dissertation shares the voices of five Black female student-athletes who have attended Division I (DI), Predominately White Institutions (PWI) in the Southern part of the United States. In the ongoing discourse of collegiate athletics and the context of southern institutions and their structures of injustice, one must hear the thoughts and…

In mainstream discourse about immigrant students in the United States (U.S.), the experiences of Black immigrant women in higher education are often neglected. As two Black, immigrant women raised in the U.S. who are familiar with higher education, we have insight into this understudied population. In this qualitative, collaborative…