Black Women's Experiences with Racial Microaggressions in College: Making Meaning at the Crossroads of Race and Gender

Abstract

In the present chapter, we argue that Black college women's experiences with microaggressive racial discrimination are best understood through the lens of intersectionality, which emphasizes the interrelations between race and gender. We use a focus group method with 20 Black female students (mean age=20) from two different settings: a four-year university and a community college both located in the same college town. This qualitative approach allows us to understand Black women's experiences in more detail and to gain insight into how microaggressions are lived on a daily basis during college. Our findings affirm that in and around college campuses, many Black female students regularly encounter microaggressive forms of discrimination unique to being Black and female, which communicate messages of inferiority, criminal status, abnormal cultural values, and rigid stereotypes. We conclude with suggestions for what colleges and universities should do in order enhance support services and create a more inclusive environment.

Citation

Lee Williams, J. and Nichols, T.M. (2012), "Black Women's Experiences with Racial Microaggressions in College: Making Meaning at the Crossroads of Race and Gender", Renée Chambers, C. and Vonshay Sharpe, R. (Ed.) Black Female Undergraduates on Campus: Successes and Challenges (Diversity in Higher Education, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 75-95. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3644(2012)0000012007