This paper uses Black Feminist Thought to explain the lived experiences of three Black female graduate students at a White Research I institution. Through mentoring from Black female professors, the students received instrumental and psychosocial support that helped them to navigate through their graduate level work. Common themes of identity, community service missions, and empowerment provides a thread that ties the student’s narratives together. We close by offering some suggestions for further research on the Black graduate experience and mentoring Black graduate students.
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Meca R. Williams, Denise N. Brewley, R. Judith Reed and Dorothy Y. White are affiliated with University of Georgia. Rachel T. Davis-Haley is affiliated with University of New Orleans.
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Williams, M.R., Brewley, D.N., Reed, R.J. et al. Learning To Read Each Other: Black Female Graduate Students Share Their Experiences at a White Research I Institution. Urban Rev 37, 181–199 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-005-0008-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-005-0008-0