Persisting at the Margins: African American Female Persistence at a Predominantly White Institution

Enrollment of African American students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) is projected to rise twenty percent by the year 2026, with Black female undergraduate students outpacing their male counterparts. However, the voices of Black female undergraduates are sparse in the literature.

The purpose of this study is to examine the persistence of undergraduate Black females enrolled at PWIs, as their voices are largely neglected in existing research. Black female undergraduates are persisting, but at what cost? This research helps to understand the experiences of these females, including pre-college and college experiences, that contribute to Black female undergraduate persistence through graduation. Participants provide personal narratives in the context of social, cultural, and institutional settings and share how they ascribe meaning to and interpret their frustrations, setbacks, comebacks, and triumphs.

Guided by the amalgamation of ecological systems theory and intersectionality, the study utilized a narrative inquiry approach. Ten participants from a mid-western PWI who identified as African American, cisgender females shared their stories of persistence in two 45-minute, semi-structured, individual interviews. Participants were recruited through listservs for African American centered student groups and spaces frequented by African American students. Interviews were video recorded via Zoom, transcribed verbatim, coded using axial coding, and analyzed thematically using Dedoose qualitative software.

Findings suggest that stories of race and gender are only the tip of the iceberg for the study of persistence at PWIs. When considering the experiences of Black undergraduate females at PWIs is vital to study additional factors that impede or contribute to persistence. The participants’ stories revealed three emerging themes: a) Flourishing Through Faith, Family, and Finances, b) Making it Through, Memories, Messages and Microaggressions, and c) Balancing Being Black and Bold. Participants identified family, faith, and socioeconomic status as their intrinsic motivation for pursuing post-secondary education. Additionally, participants reflected on their experiences growing up and navigating being both Black and female. They shared stories of feeling as if they had to vacillate between “two-selves” due to the harsh messages and microaggressions they received because of their intersecting identities. Finally, they described the emotional stressors and impact of navigating undergraduate studies as Black females. When speaking about her experiences, one participant said, “They give people breadcrumbs and expect them to make banana bread out of it. And we do. We really do.”

This study highlights the experiences, personalities, character, and journeys of Black undergraduate females. It uncovers the need for scholars to examine the nuanced stories of mental health and its psychological impact on persistence. Further research should also examine the experiences of Black female undergraduates who identify as sexual minorities (LGBTQ+), as their voices are not represented in this research. This study can be used as a tool to interrupt the cycles of oppression that Black female undergraduates experience on PWI campuses. It is an explicit call to PWI administration, faculty, and staff to build, support, and sustain environments that aid in Black female students' matriculation through colleges and universities.