Against the Current! Navigating the PHD Tide while Black and Female at a PWI

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Networks, trust, and belonging for underrepresented students

Abstract

Pursuing a doctorate while Black and Female at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) can be both isolating and deeply rooted in structurally racialized academic environments (Shavers & Moore, 2014). This qualitative study used a critical race and intersectional framework to examine the systemic, social, and emotional barriers that Black women encounter in academic spaces where their identities are simultaneously hyper-visible and overlooked. Through narrative inquiry and personal reflection, this work amplifies the voices of Black female scholars who persist amid microaggressions, intellectual marginalization, and a lack of culturally responsive mentorship. The study highlights how navigating these academic waters requires both resistance and resilience, calling for institutional accountability and transformative support structures that affirm the identities and scholarship of Black women.

Authors

• Kimberly D. Lloyd, WGYC Inc

• Seville Sawyer, Murray State University