'Blackness Distorts:' A Qualitative Exploration of Race and Disability in Black Women Graduate Students
Saved in:
| Title: | 'Blackness Distorts:' A Qualitative Exploration of Race and Disability in Black Women Graduate Students |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Kat Stephens-Peace |
| Source: | Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability. 2025 38(2):509-522. |
| Availability: | Association on Higher Education and Disability. 8015 West Kenton Circle Suite 230, Huntersville, NC 28078. Tel: 704-947-7779; Fax: 704-948-7779; e-mail: JPED@ahead.org; Web site: https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 14 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | African American Students, Students with Disabilities, Females, Graduate Students, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Dyslexia, Race, Disabilities, Intersectionality, Behavior Standards, Social Behavior, Cultural Background, Social Bias, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Negative Attitudes |
| ISSN: | 2379-7762 2328-3343 |
| Abstract: | Few qualitative studies have focused on the experiences of neurodivergent graduate students as they pursue graduate and professional degrees, and particularly, how Black women make sense of their race, gender, and ability while preparing for academic careers. This study provides clarity on how their multiply marginalized identities lead them to make meaning of dis/ability culture, dis/ability identity, and expectations of academic performance and excellence despite experiencing executive functioning challenges. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 Black women graduate students, with special attention to race and dis/ability. Participants lived with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and auditory processing disorder. Participants shared the cultural norms and cultural stigmas among the African Diaspora as they relate to dis/ability and described how they sought refuge with other neurodivergent Black women. The article concludes with implications for research and practice, including more programming and pathways for (future) dis/abled faculty and more community spaces focusing on intersectionality. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1483367 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Few qualitative studies have focused on the experiences of neurodivergent graduate students as they pursue graduate and professional degrees, and particularly, how Black women make sense of their race, gender, and ability while preparing for academic careers. This study provides clarity on how their multiply marginalized identities lead them to make meaning of dis/ability culture, dis/ability identity, and expectations of academic performance and excellence despite experiencing executive functioning challenges. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 Black women graduate students, with special attention to race and dis/ability. Participants lived with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and auditory processing disorder. Participants shared the cultural norms and cultural stigmas among the African Diaspora as they relate to dis/ability and described how they sought refuge with other neurodivergent Black women. The article concludes with implications for research and practice, including more programming and pathways for (future) dis/abled faculty and more community spaces focusing on intersectionality. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2379-7762 2328-3343 |
