Black Women's Post Secondary Educational Futures: Imagining New Possibilities Through A Living Digital Archive

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Following the principle of "looking back to look forward," a living digital archive capturing Black women's educational experiences before, during, and after college, creates a historical foundation that reveals both persistent systemic inequities and the resilience strategies developed across generations. Although among the most educated demographic, Black women face the highest student loan debt and significant pay inequity. This archive addresses the contrast between Black women’s academic success and ongoing struggles for equity, using Intersectionality Methodology (IM) (Haynes, Joseph, Patton, Stewart, and Allen, 2020). This symposium demonstrates how digital archives can catalyze "widespread future making" necessary for educational equity through methodological innovation, policy briefings, and translational research approaches.

Sub Unit

• Committee on Scholars and Advocates for Gender Equity in Education

Chair

• Lori Patton Davis, University of California, Los Angeles

Papers

• The Triple Threat: An Analysis of Financial, Racial, and Mental Health Barriers - Ayana T. Hardaway, Stanford University

• Money Talks, Dreams Walk: For Black Women, Finance Overrides Preference in College Choice - Joselyn Parker, The Ohio State University

• Connection, Culture, and Career: Framework for Understanding College Selection Through Black Women’s Narratives - Nadrea Njoku, Escend

Session Organizer

• Nadrea Njoku, Escend

Discussant

• Lori Patton Davis, University of California, Los Angeles