Black Feminist Participatory Action Research to Challenge Hegemonic Cultures at Predominately Black Institutions

Session Type: Off-Site Visit

Abstract

This study employed Black Feminist Participatory Action Research examining how HBCU STEM stakeholders collaboratively develop liberatory education practices. Ten Black HBCU STEM academics participated in workshops incorporating historical reflection, curriculum critique, and vision board mapping. Findings reveal participants successfully conceptualized community-centered liberatory practices grounded in Black epistemologies within structured collaborative spaces. Historical recovery activities catalyzed recognition of Black scientific legacy and contemporary exploitation patterns, supporting emergence of community-defined knowledge systems integrating technical competency with cultural consciousness. Participants articulated roles as cultural and technical stewards committed to community liberation rather than corporate assimilation, envisioning curricular transformations including indigenous knowledge integration, economic justice education, and community-focused innovation projects. Collaborative visioning processes enabled fundamental epistemological shifts centering Black self-determination in STEM education.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Research Focus on Black Education

Papers

• Black Feminist Participatory Action Research to Challenge Hegemonic Cultures at PBIs Activity Response Document - Simone Nicholson, Tufts University