A Qualitative Exploration of Black Women Faculty's Experiences Navigating Exclusive Spaces in the Academy

• In Event: 21.014 - Beyond Invisibility: The Experiences and Strategies of Black Female Faculty in the United Kingdom and United States

Abstract

Research consistently finds that minoritized faculty have divergent experiences in comparison to their white counterparts when it comes to socialization, mentorship, and the tenure and promotion process (Davis, Reynolds, & Bertrand-Jones, 2011; Johnson-Bailey & Cervero, 2004; Ponjuan, Martin Conley, & Trower, 2011; Stanley, 2006, 2007). For Black women faculty, the intersectionality of race coupled with gender issues further complicates their professional journeys (Crenshaw, 1995; Gregory, 2001; Griffin & Reddick, 2011; Tillman, 2011). Many face obstacles rooted in racism, sexism, anti-Blackness and misogynoir. These and other institutional factors mediating Black women’s experiences in the academy are the focus of this study.

This paper is based on the counterstories of six tenure track Black women academicians at a Midwestern university (Delgado, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2001). Data was collected via semi-structured qualitative interviews and one focus group. Drawing on Feminist Theory and Critical Race Theory (CRT), we explore the lived experiences of these women through multi-dimensional lenses. Following CRT, we assert that racism is a normalized and integral foundation of all educational institutions, and especially, institutions of higher education. Racism influences relationships, choices, and practices within the academy (Goldberg, 1993; DeCuir & Dixson ,2004). Inequalities of sexism and misogynoir as reported by the women in this study are also central (Dyson & Genishi, 2005, p. 9). While acknowledging that there is no single Black female experience, we are especially interested in their narratives surrounding workplace interactions and incidents that threaten to impede their recruitment and retention and how these are shaped by the complex intersection of race and gender (Wing, 1997).

The research seeks to explore the following questions:

1 What do Black women say are their lived experiences as higher education faculty?
2 What are their perceptions of access to professional advancement and leadership?
3 What do Black women perceive to be advantages and barriers in higher education practice and policy?
4 How do they perceive race, gender, and sexuality as mediators of their individual and collective experiences of women in academia?

Findings indicate four main themes: race trumps gender and class, “women” means white women, all stress ain’t equal, and intersectionality matters. We use this presentation to share our findings in detail.

While acknowledging the limitations of generalising from a small sample from one university, we place our findings within the context of the wider literature on female scholars of colour and those reported by our co-panellists for this symposium. An implication that arises directly from our findings is the need for understanding theories of race and racism and inequities that recognize the historical legacy of whiteness as property (Harris, 1993). Considering the conflicts respondents reported involving white women specifically, this legacy which allows for the accrual of intangible benefits that white women may enjoy to the detriment of other women, bears further examination. More work centering the voices of Black women in the academy is also necessary. Individual perspectives and shared experiences should be taken seriously as colleges and universities aspire to create more equitable and inclusive spaces.

Author

• Rema Ella Reynolds, Eastern Michigan University