Black Women at PWIs: A Qualitative Study

After noticing the distinct experiences of Black female versus Black male college students during my freshman year, I turned to existing research to explain this phenomenon. Unfortunately, I found there wasn’t much to see as most studies group Black student together with very few distinctions.

It was clear to me that categorizing Black male and female students as one big group hid significant gender-related differences.

So, I embarked on my own research.

Through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF), I completed a two-year qualitative research project focused on the social and romantic experiences of Black female students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). I explored how gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and colorism intersect and affect one’s mental health, social life, and academic success.

My research findings were presented at several MMUF regional conferences and as part of my honors thesis.