"I Felt Myself Betray Myself": Unveiling Black Womyn Resident Assistant HERstories at Predominantly White Institutions

• In Event: Narratives of Students of Color: Experiences On and Off Campus

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to highlight the marginalization experienced by Black womyn Resident Assistants attending predominantly White institutions (PWI) during the era of the 45th President. Critical Narrative Inquiry and a series of semi-structured interviews were used to explore how five womyn navigated the responsibilities of their leadership role and the intersections of race and gender. Using Black Feminist Thought as a theoretical framework, findings reveal that the intersection of Blackness (e.g., race), being a woman (e.g., gender), and leadership identity as an RA are influenced by oppressive conditions. Findings from the study will be used to amplify inequitable conditions, which impede the physical and mental health of Black collegiate womyn while navigating their roles as RAs.

Author

• Ayana T. Hardaway, Stanford University