Interlocking Oppressions in Studying Black Women

• In Event: Me-Search and We-Search: Using Qualitative Research to Develop Scholarly Voice

Abstract

I am a second-year doctoral student in the Higher Education program at Florida State University. My research interests are sexually transmitted infection prevention amongst Black women on college campuses.
I am a native of Detroit, Michigan, where segregation exists between Black people living in the city and White people living in the suburbs. My whole life, I have learned Black individuals usually live in the inner city while Caucasian people move to suburban areas and have better K-12 educational facilities and resources. Moreover, the statement mentioned above remains to be true currently.
As an educator who is a member of the Black community, I wholeheartedly understand the issues of power and privilege. Also, the knowledge validation process is essential regarding intersecting oppressions. Qualitative research brings experience and expertise from the participants to the researcher, confirming how people of color deal with systemic racism in higher education. Furthermore, this can be unsettling in making them feel like they are a form of debris (Collins, 2000).
I am an educationalist and member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) community. My thoughts, expertise, and experiences shape my understanding and perceptions of qualitative research on Black women in the academy. Therefore, since I am a member of two underrepresented populations at a predominantly White institution (PWI), I automatically conduct research thinking about equality and racial injustice.

Author

• O'Juan Edwards, Florida State University