If we tellin’ the whole truth: Why community matters for Black women scholars doing Black Ph.D work

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 9:45 am
  In Poster Session: Inquiry in the Social Contexts of Education

Abstract

This paper uses a Black feminist thought lens-supported by Nkwa-collaborative ethnography to engage honest discourse on the academic context as well as personal and socio-political experiences that have informed the development of the scholars’ respective Black critical epistemologies in K-12, study abroad, and healthcare organization development spaces. Exploration of the paper’s central question highlights the necessity of moving beyond superficial qualities to speak candidly about personal experiences that shape scholarly identities and further entails the sister-scholars’ collective definition of criticality, including consideration of the theoretical and practical demonstration and perceived or actual ‘opportunity costs’ of exercising criticality in the academy. The paper concludes with a discussion of the scholars’ 'ingredients of persistence' and recommendations for cultivating responsive, inclusive higher education spaces.

Authors

• Cecilia Noelle Vaughn-Guy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Angélique Evans, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Alissa G. Irvin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign