Black Girls as Possibility Models for Changing Hegemonic Narratives and Disrupting STEM Neoliberal Projects

• In Event: 63.084 - MTCC Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: 63.084-12 - Black Girls in the Literature, Learning, and Life

Abstract

We argue that for Black women and girls, the purpose and ends for STEM learning and education is not solely about economic gains, but also about changing narratives and helping Black girls see themselves in disciplines and careers from which they have, historically, been excluded and/or under-represented. This paper presents findings from BLIND, a three-year longitudinal study of the development of middle school Black girls’ computational algorithmic thinking (CAT) capabilities over time. We use robust data (i.e. surveys, interviews, reflective journals, observations) from 23 Black girls. We present Black feminist epistemological and intersectional analyses (Collins & Bilge, 2016) to argue that Black girls in BLIND represent possibility models for disrupting STEM neoliberal project purposes and ends.

Authors

• Nicole Michelle Joseph, Vanderbilt University

• Jakita Thomas, Auburn University