Talkin’ Black and Talking Back: Narratives of Black Women at Historically White Institutions

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Never a Level Playing Field: Higher Learning and the Black Student (Table 11)

Abstract

This critical qualitative study extends Black girlhood scholarship to explore the educational experiences of collegiate and graduate Black women. Eurocentric standards within higher education institutions influence the way Black women navigate and negotiate their identity at historically white institutions (HWIs). Participant narratives highlight moments from their K-12 experiences and the ways in which it influenced their experiences in higher education. Findings reveal how dominant white ideologies are reinforced by influencing how Black girls and women communicate and perform their identity. By centering the experiences and illuminating the voices of Black women, I aim to disrupt the anti-Black misogynistic norms that marginalize Black women’s unique experience and communication practices.

Author

• Raya Petty, Pennsylvania State University