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“Lifting As We
Climb,”
is the motto adopted by the National Association of Colored Women in the late
1800s, and has been both my personal and professional aspiration. Of particular personal interest for me in terms of
research has been to consider how African American females in higher education
settings navigate the intersections of their gender, racial, and professional
identity. The African American female experience of “Otherness” often results in
her ability to develop and take on multiple perspectives within the scholarly
setting. Although often thought to be disadvantageous, this experience of
living within the margins is also valuable to successfully maneuvering these
shifting identities. Mentorship,
building community, and sharing knowledge are buffers that facilitate healthy
navigation through the process of identity development for African American females
in higher education.
Mentoring has been
identified as a very influential factor in the academic and career success of
individuals in continuing education. Research by Patton and Harper (2003)
suggests that mentorship is of particular importance because, “emerging
scholars and practitioners who intend to excel in their respective professions
have the opportunity to make connections and learn how to successfully maneuver
within their areas of specialization” (p.67). Mentoring for Black women in graduate school was found to be
particularly challenging in a study conducted by Patton and Harper (2003) due
to the fact that these women find it difficult to locate suitable mentors with
whom to build such connections. This is largely based on the fact that the definition
and scope of mentorship was found to be a bit more diverse for Black females. According
to Patton and Harper, “most traditional definitions of mentoring barely scratch
the surface in the context of African American women” (Patton & Harper,
2003, p. 72). In their study,
Black females were shown to need not only academic guidance and career advice
from their mentors but nurturing, mothering, culturally relevant counsel, and
the ability to share personal issues as well as academic and career concerns with
their mentors in confidence.
Findings
also suggest that African American women benefit from “safe spaces” in which
they can discuss microaggressions and garner support to continue to thrive in
academia. Research on the identity
development and intersectionality of Black females has consistently shown that
it is beneficial for these women to be able to identify and access places in which
their objectification as the “Other” is minimized. In fact, it is in these safe
places that Black women can find reprieve and resist the negative impact that
can come with navigating their multiple identities. According to Alfred (2001),
“the use of a safe space was found to be a method by which the women preserve
their constructed definition of the self when the environment becomes
disconcerting” (p.118). One
crucial component of safe places is the sharing of narratives and experiences
with other Black women. Also, it is during this time that women have
opportunities for challenging oppression on both personal and structural
levels. This practice of alliance making needs to occur on different levels
both internal and external to academic environment (Burke, Cropper, &
Harrison, 2000) and can be beneficial for Black women as they develop the sense
that they are not alone in their experiences.
With this post I hope to
illustrate the invaluable importance of providing safe spaces and mentorship
opportunities for students seeking advanced degrees. Although this research
mainly focuses on the experiences of African American women, I believe that the
sentiment can be extrapolated to illustrate a need for the presence of mentors from
other minority and marginalized groups as well. When a student is able to feel
safe and supported in their educational environment, they are more likely to
thrive and become a viable asset to that community. To me, as an African
American doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, it is a non-negotiable act
of service that I willing accept to be a mentor and provide safe spaces to offer
the knowledge I have acquired to any other student or individual thinking about
becoming a student. Personally, having a mentor and being able to have safe
spaces to share and conceptualize my experiences has been something that has
equipped me with strength, courage, and tools to navigate my journey in higher
education.
If you
are in the position to offer support to a student, especially if you are a
member of a minority or marginalized group, whether in a formal capacity or
informal, please consider doing so. The success of the next generation of
minority leaders in academia and beyond may very well depend on this!
References
Alfred, M. V. (2001).
Expanding theories of career development: adding the voices of African American
women in the white academy. Adult Education Quarterly, 51(2),
108-127.
Burke, B., Cropper, A.,
& Harrison, P. (2000). Real or imagined—Black women’s experiences in
the academy. Community, Work & Family, 3(3), 297-310 .
Patton, L. D., &
Harper, S. R. (2003). Mentoring relationships among African American women in
graduate and professional schools. New Directions for Student Services,
(104), 67-78.
Written by: Candyce Burke
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