Call for Manuscripts for Special Issue on the Experiences of Black Undergraduate Women

SPECIAL ISSUE: Call for Manuscripts
NASPA Journal About Women in Higher Education 

Centering the Experiences of Black Undergraduate Women in College

Guest Editors: Lori D. Patton Indiana University, Natasha N. Croom, Iowa State University, & Chayla Haynes, University of Northern Colorado

Kaba (2008) asked, “Are Black American women the new model minority?” (p. 309). His question is both relevant and troubling when considering Black undergraduate women. It is relevant given that Black women consistently outpace their male counterparts in terms of degree completion; hence fueling a narrative that these women have a problem-free existence. Kaba’s question is equally troubling given numerous critiques of the model minority myth when applied to Asian and Asian American racial and ethnic groups. The narrative situates Black women as a monolithic group of “super women” who withstand, resist, and persist no matter the costs; emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. The “new model minority” myth ignores the multiple contexts that shape and influence the experiences and lives of Black undergraduate women. This myth endangers the support, advocacy, and visibility that Black undergraduate women deserve as they choose, matriculate and complete college. It also discredits the multiple ways in which they are marginalized within education and society. Moreover, this narrative erases their lived experiences from the research and policy agendas that are critical to addressing their needs prior to, during, and beyond college. The model minority myth has taken a foothold in higher education research and practice as Black women are theoretically and literally erased in lieu of explorations where all the black undergraduates are men and all of the women undergraduates are white (Crenshaw, 1989; Hull, Bell Scott, & Smith 1982).

We sense an urgency to provide a space for oppositional discourses that illuminate the experiences of Black undergraduate women, while also interrogating the structural and deeply embedded narratives that shape their lives as they pursue college. We recognize the academy as an appropriate site for contesting (re)constructed caricatures of Black women, as well as for disrupting traditional modes of knowledge production and acquisition that have kept Black undergraduate women marginalized, and invisible in higher education (Benjamin, 1997). The purpose of this special issue is to present scholarship that centers the voices of black undergraduate women and their collegiate experiences within and across multiple contexts and perspectives. This special issue will reveal the unique challenges and triumphs of college and identify recent research focused on Black undergraduate women. Rosales and Person (2003) stated, “The myth that Black women have achieved high levels of educational . . . attainment over the past twenty years may contribute to the lack of attention by colleges and universities” (p. 53). This special issue will engage educators, researchers and policy makers in theory-building and research perspectives that promote clear findings, implications, and recommendations for serving and supporting black undergraduate women.

We encourage critical, thought-provoking, and informative submissions that explore how the needs and experiences of Black undergraduate women can be addressed from a range of intersectional perspectives. Potential contributions can address Black women’s experiences from numerous viewpoints including, but not limited to: 1) Black women, college choice and/or experiences at for-profit, community, liberal arts and historically Black colleges; 2) institutional, federal, or state policies and their impact on black women undergraduates; 3) Identity development and experiences related to race, gender, social class, religion etc.; 4) Experiences of Black women who are first-generation, re-entry, and/or parents; 5) Black women’s engagement and involvement in college (e.g. leadership, faculty interaction, sorority life, athletics); 6) Black women’s mental, physical, and emotional well-being; 7) The role of external influences such as media, reality TV, hip-­‐hop etc. in the lives of Black undergraduate women.

For consideration, manuscripts should be at least 20–25 double-spaced pages written in 12-point Times New Roman font and submitted by Thursday, March 31, 2016. Page length includes tables, figures, and references. All manuscripts must be submitted online through http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/naspa_njawhe. Please include a cover letter clearly indicating the submission should be considered for the special issue. For more information, please contact Dr. Natasha Croom at [email protected] or Dr. Chayla Haynes at [email protected].

References

Benjamin, L. (Ed.). (1997). Black women in the academy: Promises and perils. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida.

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 140, 139–67.

Hull, G. T., Bell Scott, P., & Smith, B. (1982). All the women are white, all the blacks are men: But some of us are brave. New York, NY: The Feminist Press of City University of New York.

Kaba, A. J. (2008). Race, gender and progress: Are Black American women the new model minority? Journal of African American Studies, 12, 309-­‐335.

Rosales, A. M., & Person, D. R. (2003). Programming needs and student services for African American women. In M. F. Howard-Hamilton (Ed.), Meeting the needs of African American women. New Directions for Student Services, 140, 53–65. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-­Bass.