Critical Perspectives on Black Women and College Success

Lori D. Patton is Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA. Dr. Patton was the recipient of NASPA's 2020 George D. Kuh Award for Outstanding Contribution to Literature and/or Research Award.Natasha N. Croom is Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs at Clemson University, USA. Dr. Croom was the recipient of ASHE CEP’s 2021 Founders' Service Award.

"One cannot read these works without coming away with a renewed sense of appreciation, respect, and admiration of Black women’s fights for education as a tool of liberation. By removing the veil that has long covered the stories, struggles and strengths of Black women, this well researched volume is a comprehensive account of the journeys of Black women and higher education in the United States. An invaluable treasure trove of information."--Tyrone Howard, Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion and Professor of Education, UCLA"Critical Perspectives on Black Women and College Success is smartly attentive to historical and contemporary contours of Black women’s possibilities and perils in college spaces where they are often misunderstood, mythologized, and maligned. This timely volume serves as an exemplar of the growing scholarly tradition that focuses on participation, success, and approaches that advance the unique and at times universal experiences of Black undergraduate women." --James Earl Davis, Bernard C. Watson Endowed Chair in Urban Education and Professor of Higher Education and Educational Leadership, Temple University

• CONTENTSAcknowledgmentsChapter 1: Critical Perspectives on Undergraduate Black WomenLori D. Patton and Natasha N. CroomSection 1: Historical and Generational Perspectives on Black Undergraduate WomenChapter 2: Black Undergraduate Women’s Experiences of Race, Gender, and Class at Fisk and Howard Universities and Tuskegee Institute; 1923-1960 Linda M. PerkinsChapter 3: (In)Visibility, Involvement, and Success: A Counter-Narrative of Black Women in Predominantly White Liberal Arts Colleges, 1945-1965Dafina Lazarus StewartChapter 4: Black Women’s Advice on the Role of Confidence in the Pursuit of a College Degree: Believe You Will Achieve Rachelle Winkle-Wagner, Courtney L. Luedke, and Carmen McCallumSection 2: Ruling Discourses and Identity Politics in the Lives of Black Undergraduate WomenChapter 5: An Examination of Black Women As Students In College Films: Where My Girls At?Saran DonahooChapter 6: From Discourse to Practice: Making Discourses About Black Undergraduate Womyn Visible in Higher Education Journals and Student Affairs PracticeKimberly D. Everett and Natasha N. CroomChapter 7: Articulation of Identity in Black Undergraduate Women: Influences, Interactions, and IntersectionsChrista J. PorterChapter 8: The Experiences of Black Immigrant Women Transitioning Into College: Moving In and Moving ThroughKimberly A. Griffin, Chrystal A. George Mwangi, and Shawna M. PattersonSection 3: Black Undergraduate Women, Respectability and Resistance on Campus Chapter 9: Black Women Athletes and the Performance of Hyper-FemininityTomika Ferguson and James W. Satterfield, Jr.Chapter 10: Hair, Racism, and Marginalization in the ‘Equality State’Tracey Owens PattonChapter 11: Explorations of Respectability and Resistance in Constructions of Black Womanhood at HBCUSNadrea R. Njoku and Lori D. Patton Chapter 12: Choosing Elites: Experiences of Working Class Black Undergraduate Women at an Ivy League UniversityJennifer M. Johnson Section 4: Socialization, Well-Being and Support for Black Undergraduate WomenChapter 13: Investigating Historically Black College Women’s Racial-ethnic Socialization Experiences and Mental Health: Shades of FlourishingSha’Kema M. Blackmon and Laura D. CoyleChapter 14: Influence of Sociostructural Stressors on Mental Health and Academic Performance: Black Women’s College ExperienceRoxanne A. Donovan and Nichole A. GuilloryChapter 15: Supporting Students Who Struggle Successfully: Developing and Institutionalizing Support for Black Undergraduate WomenMahauganee D. ShawAbout the Contributors