A Way of Making it: Black Reentry Females' Success and Challenges to Undergraduate Education

Abstract

This article draws from a qualitative case study with four Black reentry women. Exploring their educational narratives through the framework of Black Feminist Thought, this study reveals that the women enacted their college reentry in three compelling ways: (1) reentry as a response to critical moments, (2) reentry as a strategy for coping with challenges, and (3) reentry as a practical step toward getting their daughters in to college. Cursory reviews of Black women in higher education and representations of Black motherhood contexualize the struggles these and other Black women have faced in getting an education, raising their families, and maintaining a positive image in society.

Citation

Sealey-Ruiz, Y. (2012), "A Way of Making it: Black Reentry Females' Success and Challenges to Undergraduate Education", 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. 97-111. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3644(2012)0000012008