The Paradox of Black Joy: Black Women Academics’ Navigation of Tenure-Track Faculty Positions

• In Event: Promise and Precarity: A Discussion of Tenure and Promotion Pathways

Abstract

This study provides insight into how Black women tenure-track faculty foster joy within and outside of the academy. Using a Black joy framework and semi-structured interview data from a larger mix-methods national study, we found that relationships and opportunities to engage with immediate family and close friends provided Black women faculty with fulfillment as they navigated tenure-track faculty careers. These findings also suggested that these sources of joy assisted in their retention as faculty members and provided them moments to see how their success and tutelage were part of a larger legacy to influence future generations.

Authors

• Janella D. Benson, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Brittney Pemberton, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• LaShawn Faith Washington, University of Texas at Austin

• Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Bridget J. Goosby, University of Texas at Austin