“I wasn’t college material”: African American women’s negative foundational experiences in education

• In Event: Black Women and Girls’ Oppression and Resistance in Schools

Abstract

Research on the experiences of people of color in school spaces tends to focus on African American boys and men; a scarcity of research on the experiences of African American girls and young women has been well documented (Neal-Jackson, 2018). In this research, conducted for my undergraduate senior thesis, I surveyed African American women about their negative experiences in school and the impact those experiences had on their educational decisions long-term. There were three major themes that emerged in the participants’ qualitative comments: prejudiced teachers, lowered expectations, and safe school spaces. It is important to understand the negative foundational experiences of African American women in order to shed light on the commonality of these situations, and to examine how these negative experiences have shaped the lives of those affected.

Authors

• Jamison Jensen, Washington College

• Sara Clarke-Vivier, Washington College