Experiences of Black Alumnae from PWIs: Did they Thrive?

Authentically Me: Examining Expectations That Are Placed Upon Black Women in College

“…Faygen’s example provides a lesson for universities. Places where students can explore the intersecting privileged and marginalized identities are needed to help students feel whole, supported, and ultimately satisfied with their college experience (Kelly et al, 2017). Porter (2017) highlighted the need for “spaces of affirmation” (p. 98), where Black women can engage in discussions where they give and receive affirmation.…”

“…Ultimately, all four Black women asserted their own unique version of Black womanhood. These findings point out the importance of focusing on within-group differences among Black women (Crenshaw, 1991; Kelly et al, 2017; Kelly & Winkle-Wagner, 2017; Winkle-Wagner, 2015) and also the need for more research that allows Black women to self-define their identities rather than play into identity politics that were inconsistent with how they viewed themselves (Crenshaw, 1991). Consistent with the intersectionality where one can find ways to assert multiple overlapping identities, Black feminist thinkers have long maintained the necessity of Black women’s self-definition and self-valuing as a key component of Black feminist theorizing, and these data offer compelling evidence of the importance of these efforts (Collins, 1986, 2002).…”

“…Scholarship argued that consistent and constant questioning of Black students’ academic abilities eroded their self-confidence over time, causing them to internalize feelings of self-doubt (Fries-Britt & Griffin, 2007; Fries-Britt & Turner, 2001, 2002). Racial stereotypes for Black women may also have a gender component to them (e.g., stereotypes of what it might mean to be a “good” woman may or may not connect with stereotypes for race; Kelly et al, 2017).…”

“…Yet there remains a need for a better understanding of the ways that Black women have identified positive notions of self. Until recently, few studies have emphasized how Black women moved beyond expectations in order to initiate positive, self-defined ways of being (but see Dortch, 2016; Gibson, 2016; Griffin et al, 2017; Haynes, Stewart, & Allen, 2016; Kelly et al, 2017; McGuire, Casanova, & Davis, 2016). Moreover, Porter (2016, 2017) presented a revised model of identity development in Black undergraduate women, centering Black women’s holistic identity development.…”

“…Programs and practices that focus on the homogeneity of Black students do not take their unique, intersectional identities (e.g., race, gender, class, among others) into consideration (Patton & Croom, 2017). Failure to acknowledge and address Black women’s intersecting identities reinforces the marginalization of both their race as well as their gender (Crenshaw, 1991; Kelly, Segoshi, Adams, & Raines, 2017). A holistic and comprehensive approach to examining Black women’s college journeys and identities is needed (Everett & Croom, 2017; Porter, 2017; Winkle-Wagner, 2009a) and would likely facilitate practitioners’ ability to offer better support that meets students where they are (Chambers & Sharpe, 2012; Luedke, 2017).…”