A Black Feminist Epistemological Approach: Reframing the College-Going Pathways of Young African American Women

• In Event: Roundtable Session 96
  In Roundtable Session: Research on Black Women Across the Diaspora: Reflecting Intersectionality in Practice

Abstract

In recent years, a litany of scholarship has focused on re-conceptualizing academic underachievement for African-American students. Regrettably, few studies in this area have focused on African-American females, whose unique struggles are often conflated with the experiences of African-American males or White females. Currently, an abundance of research on young Black females educational experiences targets pathology through deficit-based ideologies, thereby disparaging their rich culture and academic potential. For this paper, Black Feminist Theory is used to examine longitudinal qualitative data on the experiences of 11 young African-American women from an urban community in Southern California and how they navigate their multiple identities to achieve postsecondary outcomes. Additionally, this paper highlights their recommendations for improving educational policy and practices for African-Americans, collectively.

Authors

• Ifeoma A. Amah, The University of Texas - Arlington

• Monique Lane, University of California - Los Angeles