Black Feminist Epistemologies in Examining the Lived Experiences of Black Women Computer Science Students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Poster 51)

• In Event: Promising Scholarship in Education Research: Dissertation Fellows and Their Research

Abstract

Scholars seeking to illuminate the lived experiences of Black women in STEM disciplines are utilizing Black feminist epistemologies (e.g. Black feminist thought, intersectionality) as key critical framings for knowledge production. A growing body of work in computer science particularly focuses on unearthing an understanding of the experiences of Black women professionals and students in the discipline, revealing claims of computing culture embodying neutrality, objectivity, equity, and colorblindness as false. What has been less discussed among these studies are Black women’s experiences in computing departments at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Drawing on a qualitative study of six Black women computer science students at HBCUs, this research details preliminary findings on the trials and triumphs of Black women learning at institutions that affirm them racially, yet struggling in departments and internships that present challenges to their senses of belonging and identity development in computing. From student narratives emerge design considerations for those seeking to deepen or develop computing learning interventions for/with Black women students in these spaces.

Author

• Takeria Blunt, Georgia Institute of Technology
  Presenting Author