Navigating the Academy: An Autoethnographic Approach to Examining the Lived Experience of African American Women at Predominantly White Institutions of Higher Education

Authors

Kiesha Warren-Gordon, Ball State UniversityFollow
Renae D. Mayes, Ball State UniversityFollow

Abstract

This study explores the lived experience of two African American women working at predominately white institutions of higher education. A review of the literature suggests research that examines the experiences of African American women in academe is limited. Using an autoethnographic approach, we explore our experiences and how we navigate our roles. Findings suggest that when the appropriate mentoring is in place African American women have a more positive experience navigating the promotion and tenure process.

Keywords

Higher Education, African American, Autoethnographic

Author Bio(s)

Kiesha Warren-Gordon is an Associate Professor of CJC at Ball State University. She received her Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. Her substantive areas include criminology, race and ethnicity. Her research explores the intersection of race and class in the miscarriage of justice, violence, and intercultural conflict. Her teaching interests are victimology, multiculturalism, the death penalty, and criminal justice process. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: kwarrengordo@bsu.edu.

Renae D. Mayes, PhD, NCC is an assistant professor and director of the School Counseling Program in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services. She completed her PhD in counselor education at The Ohio State University, after completing degrees at the University of Maryland, College Park (MEd in school counseling) and University of Missouri (BS in middle school math and social studies education). Mayes’s line of research focuses on students of color in the k-16 pipeline in three areas including gifted education, special education, and urban education. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: rdmayes@bsu.edu.

Publication Date

9-7-2017

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2881

Recommended APA Citation

Warren-Gordon, K., & Mayes, R. D. (2017). Navigating the Academy: An Autoethnographic Approach to Examining the Lived Experience of African American Women at Predominantly White Institutions of Higher Education. The Qualitative Report, 22(9), 2356-2366. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2881