Outsiders within: Critical Perspectives of Black/African American Women Teaching Multicultural Counseling in Rural Appalachia

Code‐switching 101: Black women counselor educators’ personal and professional identity development

“…The current findings support these sentiments and expand the discussion to include how marital status may impact Black women counselor educators’ intersections of motherhood and professional perceptions. Previous literature on Black women counselor educators (Erby & Hammonds, 2020; Lester et al., 2021) had not discussed how single Black women might feel an added pressure to present as married to avoid negative stereotypes. As a result, these Black women may engage in code‐switching behaviors such as wearing a ring or using language that would suggest they were married.…”

“…This theme added depth to the previous themes about code‐switching and illuminated how Black women counselor educators self‐censor and navigate stereotype threat (Fields & Cunningham‐Williams, 2021; Overstreet et al., 2021). Black women counselor educators desire authenticity while at the same time fear that any deviation from White cultural norms may falsely confirm negative stereotypes such as the angry Black woman (Erby & Hammonds, 2020). In the professional identity development process, one of the hallmark transformational experiences is when counselor educators gain autonomy in self‐identifying their understanding and expression of being an academic (Dollarhide et al., 2013).…”

“…Accordingly, we agreed that code‐switching is not “a means to an end.” Unfortunately, there is no finite conclusion. Systemic oppressions and whiteness actively function in and out of U.S. institutions of higher education and stifle the representation of Black women tenured professors across many disciplines and institution types (Erby & Hammonds, 2020). Although the number of Black women counselor educators may have increased, and we may be more visible in leadership at our institutions and in the profession, this does not reflect an inclusive or equitable culture in higher education within the discipline of counselor education.…”

“…Whiteness is understood as “an amalgamation of qualities including the cultures, histories, experiences, discourses, and privileges shared by Whites” (Marx, 2006, p. 6), which functions to provide people with rewards for conforming to White norms (Haskins & Singh, 2015). Whiteness, entrenched in hegemonic higher education systems, reinforces exclusionary practices that impede the ability of Black women counselor educators to gain access to and succeed in the discipline of counselor education (Erby & Hammonds, 2020; Haskins & Singh, 2015; Lester et al., 2021). Acknowledging the privilege of Whiteness carries the embedded consideration of race and gender.…”

“…(2018) documented a Black woman attempting to assimilate to the dominant culture by straightening her hair instead of wearing it in its natural state during a counselor education faculty interview process. Erby and Hammonds’ (2020) co‐autoethnography, capturing their experiences as Black women counselor educators, noted them constantly monitoring their voice tones to avoid proverbial stereotypes of being viewed as angry or intimidating. Likewise, Lester et al.…”