Outsider-Within: Black Undergraduate Women Experiences Within Higher Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: Motivating and Supporting Student Groups Throughout College

Abstract

Situated within critical race theory and Black feminist theory framework, this study sought to understand how Black undergraduate women make meaning of their collegiate experiences. Using thematic analysis, thirty Black undergraduate women shared their experiences within higher education. Four major themes emerged which suggest Black undergraduate women experience a spectrum of violence, they feel alone on white campuses, and often feel hypervisible. Lastly, Black women are forced to create their own sense of belonging on campus through participation in Black Greek-lettered organizations and Black student unions, as well as finding supportive faculty. Findings of this study suggest Black women continue to experience institutional marginalization, but persist nonetheless.

Author

• Kandace Nicole Branch, Chapman University