Occupying a White Space: A Duoethnography of Using Cellphilms to Explore Black International Students' Identities

• In Event: A Closer Look at Qualitative Research Methods Employed in the Research on Women and Education

Abstract

The intersection of Black, feminine, and international student issues creates a unique conundrum for Black international women pursuing studies in Canada. This paper presents a duoethnographic account of our experiences employing cellphilms as an arts-based methodology to speak back against systems that marginalize Black international women in academia. We describe our experiences moving from the Caribbean islands of St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago to New Brunswick, Canada, to pursue graduate studies and how our varied identities exacerbated the challenges we encountered. To explore our identities, we took part in a series of cellphilm workshops for Black students. We analyze the ways we employed cellphilms as resistance and promote self-reflection and advocacy toward the empowerment of Black women.

Authors

• Alicia Francisca Noreiga, Acadia University

• Shernel Fay Justin, Government of Saint Lucia