"Black Women in the Academy: Pushed to the Margins"

 Black Women in the Academy: Pushed to the Margins

“Book knowledge is respected but understanding the lived experiences of women and the wisdom they possess because of these experiences is highly prized.”

-Meca R. Williams

 

            The position of Black Female Academics (BFAs) is a precarious one. Based upon quantitative data alone, one would be under the illusion that the condition of these women is positive. Look at a study conducted in 2012 titled “Beyond Anecdotes: A Quantitative Examination of Black Women in Academe” and you will find it claiming that “The professional progress of black women has … been positive” (Sharpe 352). With more women of color than ever before getting degrees, pursuing academic tenure and accessing previously male-dominated academic fields such as math and science, believing the equality of the sexes and races has come would seem all too easy an answer. The current state of BFAs is far more complicated.

Set to navigate the tricky waters of sexism and racism in the United States where many believe these issues to have been overcome in eras long passed, BFAs are pushed to the margins and left without support. Stephanie Evans articulates that “While the increasing numbers of women in academe appears promising, it’s hard to ignore the increasing numbers of women seeping out from every point along the academic pipeline” (Evans 133). Evan’s quote speaks to the importance of retention. To have BFAs at universities is one thing, to keep them there is another. Using the wisdom gained from my epigraph, I will utilize lived stories throughout my essay to validate and reveal the real condition of today’s BFA.

 

Position as Women

            Take any feminist theory course and the state of women can seem dire. Historically pushed to embrace femininity and maintain the home, family and husband, there has not been much room for these women to speak or express themselves. Relegated to silence, this denial has led to the creation of salient societal norms that perpetuate women as non-reliable sources of information. In more pointed language, Toril Moi states that “by discrediting her status as a speaker, [men] intend to preclude any further discussion of what she actually says” and further that “It is specific fact of her being a woman that is mobilized to undercut her argument” (Moi 140 & 215). Even before a woman can open her mouth she is discredited and if allowed to vocalize her thought, her words are invalidated. Feminism is stunted by such preconceived abilities of the sexes.

Enter the academy and women face similar struggles for legitimacy. During graduate studies, a BFA noticed how her male professor “saw a clear performance division in the class between the five men at the top and the three women at the bottom… even though one of the women consistently made scores in the same range of several of the men” (Williams 188). Preference over men in a male-run graduate classroom furthers the case that women are still seen as lacking even after being admitted to a rigorous program based on proven academic achievement. Why I find noting the struggle of women important as a preface is to emphasize that BFAs must navigate both sexism and racism simultaneously. Invalidation as a female speaker is a large hurdle to overcome but even bigger when the hurdle of racism looms just shortly beyond.

Evelyn M. Hammonds speaks to this added resistance by noting how black women at large must also fight to “reclaim the body – the maimed, immoral, black female body – which can be and is still used by others to discredit them as producers of knowledge” (Price 99). Positioned as a double minority, women of color are commonly silenced. By not speaking up, oppression carries on but this by no means should place the blame on women of color. There are systemic problems that prevent the issues from being resolved. To further this point, take a BFAs’ experience regarding her time spent in scholastic gatherings. She recounted how “ideas that I had offered in meetings were quickly disregarded only later to be recapitulated and accepted by someone else who didn’t look anything like me” (Williams 192). Experiences of invalidation occur far too often. Until their voices are validated and heard, oppression will only continue but I digress.

 

Overcoming the Stigmas of Race and Gender

            As I’ve touched on earlier, navigating the world as a female in a male-dominated world can prove difficult but when a women also identifies as a racial minority, the difficulty increases ten-fold. Our country is deeply entrenched in racism and sexism and modern media continues to perpetuate limiting definitions of race and gender. As such, identity has a great deal of weight and shapes the ways in which we interact with the world for better and worse (but mostly worse). My focus in this section is geared towards BFAs who occupy space at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs); places where student, faculty and staff of color make up a nominal percentage of campus which can lead to alienation. This alienation can be caused by lack of resources and on-campus support but more likely is a result of micro aggressions, misconceptions about race, and many other race related issues faced by these people.

             There is a strong desire among black female academics to prove themselves. This desire to be seen as competent exists simply because of the racist and sexist ideologies pushing against them. In the words of Traci Palmer Baxley, “[BFAs] constantly feel the need to prove ourselves more than our peers, even when we know our expertise is beyond reproach” (Baxley 58). What is fascinating about this statement and ones similar to it is that the women voicing these concerns are in highly specialized fields. To access the university as a teacher, one must have advanced degrees which should be merit enough for their competence; but, this is simply not the case. Matters worsen for women of color. As one BFA acutely noted, “The challenges of having to be twice as good to get half the recognition that are present for white women are magnified for scholars of color who don’t have the credibility that whiteness provides” (Evans 133-134). Even white female academics have the safety net that being white provides in the United States and, more specifically, at PWIs. Race takes an even more detrimental toll on credibility than female-ness. Another BFA furthers this idea by stating how “This need to outperform suggests that the Black Tax (i.e., the additional responsibilities and expectations that are associated costs of one’s blackness) has not been appealed” (Henderson 32). To speak of race is to cause discomfort which is why BFAs shoulder their marginality silently. Blame White Privilege at PWIs. White professors do not encounter racism and do not fully understand people of colors experience. In other words, “White Privilege becomes the lens through which these expectations are re-interpreted and dismissed” (Henderson 32). Until all experiences and not merely white ones can be validated, BFAs will continue to outperform in order to be taken seriously.

 

“Affirmative Action Cases”

            Affirmative Action is incredibly misunderstood in this country. Implemented as a means to give people of color more equal standing in the face of historical racism, this initiative by no means gives people of color “special treatment”. The very existence of Affirmative Action speaks volumes implying that the United States can only ensure equality if the law enforces it to be so. Most relate this initiative to merely filling quotas which sheds even more light onto why BFAs feel a constant need to prove themselves. Reflecting on her studies in the academy, one BFA in a qualitative study confessed that “I overcompensated in my studies because I felt my acceptance might be on the basis of race and not my qualifications” (Williams 187). To have BFAs occupy the academy at all seems incredible given the theme of underestimation that echoes loudly through many of these women’s stories.  Trying to replicate and learn the ways of academic discourse is hard enough to learn without having your authority questioned every step along the way.

            At PWIs where people of color are in short number, it is possible white students, faculty or staff could view people of color as filling necessary “diversity” quotas. Suggesting this idea that people of color are accepted based on necessity rather than merit perfectly mirrors sentiments of BFAs. A study done by Frank Tuitt suggests that black students “may alter their behavior in an effort to justify their presence and prove that they belong” (Tuitt 198). Existing stereotypes and stigmas, as we have touched on earlier, are responsible for this feeling of outsider-ness. Marnel Goins shines light on how she “felt both internal and cultural pressure to exceed research, service and teaching expectations, which often made me feel like an outsider, even around my African American Colleagues” (Goins 188). The major issue to arise from these feelings of incompetence and being an outsider is that it further marginalizes BFAs.  As Goins notes, overcompensation also separates the few faculty and staff of color at PWIs. Without a community to hold onto, black women in the academy are left on their own to bolster the weight and responsibility of becoming tenured professors. No surprise that this ultimately sets BFAs up for failure from square one.

 

Denied the Center, Permitted the Margins

            Even if a women of color can access the academy long enough to be taken seriously, she is still left to facilitate jobs that are viewed as lesser or given more work than her professional counterparts. One responsibility added to BFAs roster is diversity efforts. Especially at a PWI, black women can be seen as the flag bearers of all underrepresented groups. Toni C. King calls this projected role the “Ally in Marginality” because it is supposed that “black women must have advanced social skills and resources that would be useful leverage within [the university]” (King 19). Though it is necessary for people of color, women or other marginalized groups to lead their own movements in order to keep the goals in line with the group’s ideals, saddling BFAs with this responsibility distracts them from working on their own research. Becoming a tenured professor is not an easy task and requires additional scholarship on top of their current workload. Black women professors generally receive poorer class evaluations and due to their female and black status are already challenged daily as to their competence. All of these forces combined prevent BFAs from reaching their fullest potential and make it clear as to why BFAs may “seep” out of the academic pipeline.

            Stephanie Evans articulates how BFAs are commonly “relegated to lower ranks, doing much ‘invisible work’, such as counseling, coordinating meetings, stretching meager resources, and organizing grassroots civil rights campaigns and [improving] their campus and communities” (Evans 132). Evans quote makes it clear that the efforts of BFAs are necessary and useful although within the academy, different values persist. To publish is to be seen as competent but why is that the only means of proving one’s merit? Being a professor is more holistic than merely writing dissertations in a dark office. Nonetheless, this narrow definition of accepted scholarship causes black women to be “less likely inclined to indicate their scholarship is valued, that they are respected by their colleagues and that they are viewed as legitimate scholars” (Henderson 28-29). Before I begin to more deeply analyze why BFAs feel devalued, allow me to share two incidents shared by Traci Palmer Baxley concerning her experience in the academy.

            Prior to teaching in the classroom, Baxley had to create her concentration with an advisor as a graduate student. Her interest rested around Multi-culturalism and so she excitedly drew up her intended plan of study. Upon presenting her proposed plan she

was told that [she] shouldn’t include these courses because they were a ‘waste of time’ and [she] was given alternate courses to add to [her] plan of study. In addition, [she] was told that all children really need in order to learn is ‘real content’ (Baxley 55).

Baxley was greatly shaken by this interaction. First of all, she was not allowed to create her own curriculum. Denied creative direction over her own studies furthers the idea that as a BFA her scholarship is not seen as legitimate. Secondly, the relegation of multi-cultural as being “a waste of time” is doubly damaging. On the one hand, it shades her interests as unimportant and on the other, it completely undermines her existence. Topics of multi-culturalism are directly related to her life and experience and to say that such topics are not “real content” is to silence and invalidate her existence.

            Fast forward in Baxley’s life to her first years of teaching and another similar incident occurred. Assigned to work alongside an established white female professor at her university, Baxley was excited and looking forward to learning and putting her schooling into practice (but not everyone would be so excited). Arriving a little earlier than scheduled to make a good impression, she walked into the classroom of the professor and introduced herself. To her surprise, the interaction went sour quickly. Baxley recounts how “After looking at me for what felt like an eternity, in what I interpreted at the time as disgust and disbelief, she replied, “You… are teaching my course” (Baxley 56)? What makes this incident hard to grasp is the fact that she is speaking to another women. Another female who has most likely experienced prejudice based on her sex and is now projecting similar prejudice, laced with racism, onto Baxley. When the oppressed oppress the oppressed, the work of the oppressors is complete and self-sustaining. The cycle of oppression must be broken.

 

Expanding the Spotlight, Erasing the Margins

            Now that the issues befalling black women in the academy have been identified, what can be done to improve their status? The potential answers seem almost too straight forward but that does not undermine their potential effects. As a preface, we must recognize that in order to create change, everyone must be on board. Matters are complicated when “many who need to read [Faculty Diversity: Problems and Solutions] do not and those who show up at diversity roundtables are already on board” (Evans 137). The issues of diversity, especially at PWIs, needs to be a community interest, especially for those that believe diversity has no stake in their life what-so-ever. By distancing oneself from such pressing topics, prejudice only fills in the space. Traci Baxley identifies “open dialogue and course choices [as helping] alleviate feelings of marginalization among faculty of color” and that “having the courage to seek space (mentoring, collaboration, acknowledgement and acceptance)… is the first step to empowering oneself in the margins” (Baxley 59 & 60). BFAs need to be welcomed into the academy and given the resources readily available to their white counterparts. Too long have women of color been mistrusted and alienated but through fellowship and recognition as producers of knowledge, change can begin to occur.

 

Conclusion

            Silence is a powerful tool in the arsenal of oppression. When a group is forced to not speak or is not heard when they vocalize their thoughts, the oppressor has the power to inscribe their own ideologies onto the group, thus defining them. Black women in the academy are at the mercy of such definitions. Challenged both by their status as women and their darker skin, preconceived notions of how these women should act prevent BFAs from being taken seriously. By nature of this imposed silence, many are unaware of the issues that challenge BFAs daily but this is why it is time for us to listen to what this marginalized group has to say. Lived experiences are powerful and as one woman deftly stated, “narratives provide a stage for me to name my reality and tell my story” (Baxley 53). Black women (and women in general) have come a long way, but let us all realize that the fight for equity is not a means to an end but an ongoing pursuit.

 

 

 

 

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