Navigating Invisibility: The Experiences of Black Women Doctoral Students in Higher Education Preparation Classrooms

• In Event: Unearthing Graduate Student Experiences Across Multiple Educational Contexts

Abstract

Black women in doctoral programs at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) often experience challenges within the classroom that reinforce their marginalization. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of Black women doctoral students in courses that focus on higher education with espoused equity, social justice, and diversity (ESD) learning outcomes and objectives. We use intersectionality as an analytical and methodological approach to center the multiple truths of the participants while making structural oppression visual for collective action. Our findings suggest that Black women doctoral students experience otherness and invisibility even in courses with espoused ESD learning outcomes and objectives. This research expands upon existing literature on Black women’s experiences in higher education and highlights evidence of institutional othering.

Authors

• Ericka Roland, University of Texas at Arlington

• Tiffany N Hughes, The University of Texas at Austin