Beyond Bothered: Stressors and Challenges of Black Undergraduate Women at Ivy League Institutions

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Our Triumphs Should Not Mask Our Struggle: The Stories of Black Women in College Settings

Abstract

Research exploring the experiences of Black women attending Predominantly White Institutions in the U.S. is emerging. However, scholarship centering Black women’s experiences within Ivy League Institutions remains elusive. This study examines the experiences of six Black Ivy League Collegians who identify as female and their perceptions about how race, gender, class, and ethnicity shaped their sense of self and campus interactions while attending an Ivy League Institution. Using Black Feminist Thought as the theoretical framework, findings illustrate salient stressors and challenges while navigating interactions with peers, professors, and other university personnel. This study’s findings broaden our understanding of Black women college students and informs institutions of higher education on strategies to best support them.

Authors

• Ayana T. Hardaway, Stanford University

• Sharron Scott, Temple University

• Jennifer Michelle Johnson, Temple University