Resilience as Resistance or Burden? Black Girls’ Critique of Grit, Visibility, and Identity in STEM

• In Event: Reckoning with histories of politics and racialization in STEM Education

Abstract

Resilience is often glorified in STEM education, particularly for marginalized students. However, for Black girls, it can become a racialized and gendered expectation to endure systemic exclusion. This qualitative study explores how thirteen Black high school girls navigated and critiqued the demand for resilience in STEM learning spaces. Drawing on data from a culturally responsive, community-based STEM program and grounded in Black Feminist Thought, the study examines how participants resisted tokenization, challenged stereotypes, and redefined resilience on their own terms. Findings reveal the emotional toll of being expected to “push through” without care or support. This study calls for equity-centered approaches that honor Black girls’ humanity, foster belonging, and challenge the romanticization of grit in STEM.

Author

• Miranda M. Allen, Texas Tech University