Black Liberatory Futures in STEM: Creating Spaces of Wellness, Joy, and Institutional Belonging

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Black Liberatory STEM: Belonging, Wellness, and Resistance in Science Education

Abstract

This paper explores the mental health and wellness experiences of 85 Black undergraduate STEM students across North Carolina universities, drawing from focus group interviews as part of the Black EpiSTEMologies research project. Findings reveal how students navigate racial isolation, hypervisibility, and the psychological weight of “Black excellence,” while drawing strength from family, peer networks, spirituality, and creative outlets. Gendered and diasporic perspectives illuminate tensions between cultural expression and belonging in STEM spaces, particularly for Black women and international students. Grounded in Black Liberatory Education, Afrofuturism, and BlackCrit, this paper calls for Black Liberatory Futures in STEM that includes culturally affirming mental health support, community-rooted care, and institutional designs that center Black joy, wellness, and collective liberation in STEM education.

Authors

• Joanna N. Ali, North Carolina State University

• Paula Groves Price, North Carolina A&T State University

• Loydmilla dosReis, North Carolina A&T State University

• Arielle King, North Carolina A&T State University

• Amaya Jeffers, North Carolina A&T State University