Journeying through Reimagined Scholarship for a Mixed-Race Scholar-Activist: A Qualitative Dissertation Process Rooted in Black Girlhood

Background and Purpose: Rooted in the lived experiences of navigating academia as a mixed-race woman, my dissertation journey embodies a commitment to authenticity, resistance, and social justice. My intersectional identity as a scholar-activist informed a critical interrogation of power dynamics and systemic oppressions within academia. Drawing from Black feminist and Black Girlhood scholars, I seek to decolonize research methodologies, strengthen social impact through collaborative research, and encourage (re)imagination in doctoral education. This paper uses critical frameworks to discuss the transformative journey of reimagining the dissertation process within social work research. I share deeply personal experiences of encountering resistance and pushback while simultaneously being uplifted by invaluable support and opportunities, ultimately shaping my dissertation trajectory.

Methods: Autoethnography (AE) is a methodology used in qualitative research where researchers recount their personal experiences and then analyze them systematically to understand cultural experiences. This type of inquiry is narrative in nature and is rooted in interpretivism, which means that the researchers themselves are both the research participants and the researchers, and their experiences and perspectives are considered data. Autoethnographers create narrative texts that are more accessible to a broader and more diverse audience than traditional research, allowing for greater engagement. The method of AE embraces and welcomes subjectivity, emotionality, and the researcher's influence on the research rather than pretending they do not exist. The data was collected through self-observation and journaling and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings: My personal narrative regarding my doctoral journey echo and diverge from other doctoral students’ experiences. What arose from my analysis was the complexity of the doctoral student process and pivotal moments of challenge, growth, and profound transformation. Thus, five themes emerged that highlighted my lived experiences of navigating academia as a mixed-race scholar-activist woman: (1) integrating diverse theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, (2) forming connections with supportive faculty members and peers, (3) navigating the complexities of identity formation and scholarly praxis, noting the tension between the personal and professional (4) engaging in intersectional reflexivity, and (5) positioning myself as both a participant in research and a researcher seeking/striving for transformative change.

Conclusions and Implications: By embracing the liberatory ethos of outlined by Black feminist and Black Girlhood scholars, my dissertation journey exemplifies a paradigmatic shift in traditional research practices within social work. Being both a participant in research and a burgeoning researcher there needs to be more spaces within academia for doctoral students that are inclusive and responsive, and that demonstrate a commitment to equity, justice, and transformative change. Further, this study's findings support the need for theoretical and methodological approaches that are diverse and support the intersectional identities of the burgeoning scholars employing such approaches. Ultimately, my doctoral journey highlights a process of creating space for healing, resistance, and collective liberation among doctoral students and their faculty accomplices.