Valentina Arango-Correa: A Qualitative Study of Black Women Educator’s Experiences with Microaggressions

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Committee: Dr. Sharon Ryan (chair), Dr. Lauren Leigh Kelly, and Dr. Maqueda Randall-Weeks

Date: January 25, 2023

Time: 2pm-4pm

Abstract

It is well documented that schools are structured through Eurocentric hierarchies that frame people of color through deficit perspectives The racial and gendered climates of school foster an environment where microaggressions are prevalent. However, examinations of microaggressions in educational settings either focus on the experiences of BIPOC educators as an amalgamated group, or Black educators generally (Brown, 2018; Kohli, 2018; Quaye et al., 2020). This qualitative study aims to explore the microaggressions Black women educators experience and navigate in the workplace. Informed by Black Feminist Theory and Microaggression Theory, this study aims to answer the following research questions: 1. What are Black women’s racial and gendered experiences in PK-12 New Jersey school districts? a. What racial/gendered microaggressions do Black women educators report experiencing in their school districts? b. What is the impact of microaggressions on Black Women educators and how do they navigate them? 2.What do Black women educators say that schools can do to support them? As the focus of this study is on documenting and understanding Black women’s racial and gendered experiences with microaggressions in PK-12 New Jersey school districts, I will be employing a qualitative research design that draws on principles of phenomenology. I will conduct two interviews with each of 10-15 Black Women educators of PK-12 schools in New Jersey. It is hoped that this study will help educators, administrators, and various PK-12 stakeholders understand how racial and gendered microaggressions are affecting Black women educators, and ways they might shape school cultures to be safer spaces for Black women educators.

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