The Clash of the Tenure and Biological Clocks: Black Women Academics’ Reproductive Health Experiences

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

Abstract

Black women experience inequitable health outcomes, including reproductive health. Through a mixed methods analysis using a Reproductive Justice framework, we explored Black women academics’ reproductive health, documenting the relationship between faculty careers and reproductive health outcomes. Our findings indicate that most Black women academics had been diagnosed with at least one reproductive health concern. When participants were asked about their health experiences, some described hostility and inflexibility of academia. The pursuit of tenure in academia clashed with their biological clocks and parenthood goals, sometimes leading to unsuccessful fertility attempts. To advance racial equity, we launch a call to action for educational stakeholders to develop institutional support for reproductive health and broaden Reproductive Justice to include additional reproductive experiences beyond childbearing.

Authors

• Kate Westaby, Urban Institute

• Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Bridget J. Goosby, University of Texas at Austin