Motivation, Meritocracy, and Money: Academic Success From the Perspective of K–8 Black Girls

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: "But Some of Us Are Brave": Educational Narratives of Black Girls and Women

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to contribute to a growing body of research interested in better understanding Black girlhood. There has been much research done detailing the plight of urban students, but limited work about their successes (Carter, 2008). This is even more true for urban girls (Evans-Winters, 2014). This paper is specifically interested in better understanding the beliefs of elementary and middle school-aged academically resilient Black girls to gain insights to their beliefs about success with hopes of uncovering their thinking surrounding motivation and meritocracy. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with elementary and middle school-aged Black girls uncovering themes surrounding meritocracy, motivation, and future aspirations.

Author

• Alexis Young, University of Maryland - College Park