Extracting Life-giving Strength from my Roots: An Endarkened Feminist (Auto)Nkwaethnography of Navigating Tenure as a Black Woman at a Predominantly White Institution

Allen-Handy, Ayana

doi:10.13169/jinte.5.1.0007

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Journal of Intersectionality

Volume 5, Issue 1

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Extracting Life-giving Strength from my Roots: An Endarkened Feminist (Auto)Nkwaethnography of Navigating Tenure as a Black Woman at a Predominantly White Institution

research-article

Author(s): Ayana Allen-Handy ¹

Publication date (Print): 14 October 2022

Journal: Journal of Intersectionality

Keywords: endarkened feminist epistemologies, intersectionality, autoethnography, nkwaethnography, Black women, predominantly white institutions, tenure

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Abstract

This auto nkwa (life-affirming) ethnography shares a Black woman’s journey to tenure at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Grounded in endarkened feminist epistemologies, the author weaves together elements of intersectionality, critical autoethnography, narrative inquiry, and Black womanist traditions to share first-person accounts of how she navigated the socio-cultural and socio-political institutional context to ultimately become the first Black woman to earn tenure in the School of Education’s history at her university. In connecting the personal to theory and theory to praxis, the author illuminates how PWIs must undertake anti-racist and justice-orientations in order to fully center and support Black women’s ways of knowing and being in the tenure and promotion process, ultimately ensuring their long-term success.

Content

Author and article information

Journal

Title: Journal of Intersectionality

ISSN: 2515-2122

Publication date (Print): 14 October 2022

Volume: 5

Issue: 1

Pages: 70-88

Affiliations

[1 ] Drexel University

Article

DOI: 10.13169/jinte.5.1.0007

SO-VID: b37d0fd1-e53d-435c-9680-cf4d4e7df4b6

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Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International ( CC BY 4.0). Users are allowed to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially), as long as the authors and the publisher are explicitly identified and properly acknowledged as the original source.

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Data availability: Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

ScienceOpen disciplines: Sociology,Education,Political science,Cultural studies

Keywords: endarkened feminist epistemologies,predominantly white institutions,Black women,intersectionality,tenure,autoethnography,nkwaethnography

References

Allen-Handy Ayana, Thomas-EL Shawnna L., Sung Kenzo K.. Urban Youth Scholars: Cultivating Critical Global Leadership Development through Youth-Led Justice-Oriented Research. The Urban Review. Vol. 53(2):264–294. 2021. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. [Cross Ref]
Boylorn Robin M.. As Seen On TV: An Autoethnographic Reflection on Race and Reality Television. Critical Studies in Media Communication. Vol. 25(4):413–433. 2008. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]
Boylorn Robin M.. On Being at Home with Myself. International Review of Qualitative Research. Vol. 9(1):44–58. 2016. SAGE Publications. [Cross Ref]
Collins Patricia Hill. Reflections on the Outsider Within. Journal of Career Development. Vol. 26(1):85–88. 1999. SAGE Publications. [Cross Ref]
Crenshaw Kimberle. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review. Vol. 43(6)1991. JSTOR. [Cross Ref]
Chang Heewon. Autoethnography as Method. 2016. Routledge. [Cross Ref]
Dillard Cynthia B.. When the Ground Is Black, the Ground Is Fertile: Exploring Endarkened Feminist Epistemology and Healing Methodologies in the SpiritHandbook of Critical and Indigenous Methodologies. p. 277–292. 2008. SAGE Publications, Inc.. [Cross Ref]
Dumas Michael J.. Against the Dark: Antiblackness in Education Policy and Discourse. Theory Into Practice. Vol. 55(1):11–19. 2016. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]
Farinde Abiola A., Allen Ayana, Lewis Chance W.. Retaining Black Teachers: An Examination of Black Female Teachers’ Intentions to Remain in K-12 Classrooms. Equity & Excellence in Education. Vol. 49(1):115–127. 2016. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]
Black Female Teachers. 2017. Emerald Publishing Limited. [Cross Ref]
Ginwright Shawn. Hope and Healing in Urban Education. 2015. Routledge. [Cross Ref]
Griffin Rachel Alicia. I AM an Angry Black Woman: Black Feminist Autoethnography, Voice, and Resistance. Women's Studies in Communication. Vol. 35(2):138–157. 2012. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]
Harris Cheryl I.. Whiteness as Property. Harvard Law Review. Vol. 106(8)1993. JSTOR. [Cross Ref]
Ladson-Billings Gloria. Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal. Vol. 32(3):465–491. 1995. American Educational Research Association (AERA). [Cross Ref]
Jones Brandolyn, Hwang Eunjin, Bustamante Rebecca M. African American female professors’ strategies for successful attainment of tenure and promotion at predominately White institutions: It can happen. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice. Vol. 10(2):133–151. 2015. SAGE Publications. [Cross Ref]
Love Bettina L.. Anti-Black state violence, classroom edition: The spirit murdering of Black children. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Vol. 13(1):22–25. 2016. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]
Ochberg Richard L.. Interpreting Life StoriesEthics and Process in the Narrative Study of Lives. p. 97–113. 1996. SAGE Publications, Inc.. [Cross Ref]
Paris Django. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Educational Researcher. Vol. 41(3):93–97. 2012. American Educational Research Association (AERA). [Cross Ref]
Turner Caroline Sotello Viernes. Women of Color in Academe: Living with Multiple Marginality. The Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 73(1):74–93. 2002. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]
Young Jemimah L., Hines Dorothy E.. Killing My Spirit, Renewing My Soul: Black Female Professors’ Critical Reflections on Spirit Killings While Teaching. Women, Gender, and Families of Color. Vol. 6(1):18–25. 2018. University of Illinois Press. [Cross Ref]

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Allen-Handy Ayana, Thomas-EL Shawnna L., Sung Kenzo K.. Urban Youth Scholars: Cultivating Critical Global Leadership Development through Youth-Led Justice-Oriented Research. The Urban Review. Vol. 53(2):264–294. 2021. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. [Cross Ref]

[2] Boylorn Robin M.. As Seen On TV: An Autoethnographic Reflection on Race and Reality Television. Critical Studies in Media Communication. Vol. 25(4):413–433. 2008. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]

[3] Boylorn Robin M.. On Being at Home with Myself. International Review of Qualitative Research. Vol. 9(1):44–58. 2016. SAGE Publications. [Cross Ref]

[4] Collins Patricia Hill. Reflections on the Outsider Within. Journal of Career Development. Vol. 26(1):85–88. 1999. SAGE Publications. [Cross Ref]

[5] Crenshaw Kimberle. Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review. Vol. 43(6)1991. JSTOR. [Cross Ref]

[6] Chang Heewon. Autoethnography as Method. 2016. Routledge. [Cross Ref]

[7] Dillard Cynthia B.. When the Ground Is Black, the Ground Is Fertile: Exploring Endarkened Feminist Epistemology and Healing Methodologies in the SpiritHandbook of Critical and Indigenous Methodologies. p. 277–292. 2008. SAGE Publications, Inc.. [Cross Ref]

[8] Dumas Michael J.. Against the Dark: Antiblackness in Education Policy and Discourse. Theory Into Practice. Vol. 55(1):11–19. 2016. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]

[9] Farinde Abiola A., Allen Ayana, Lewis Chance W.. Retaining Black Teachers: An Examination of Black Female Teachers’ Intentions to Remain in K-12 Classrooms. Equity & Excellence in Education. Vol. 49(1):115–127. 2016. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]

[10] Black Female Teachers. 2017. Emerald Publishing Limited. [Cross Ref]

[11] Ginwright Shawn. Hope and Healing in Urban Education. 2015. Routledge. [Cross Ref]

[12] Griffin Rachel Alicia. I AM an Angry Black Woman: Black Feminist Autoethnography, Voice, and Resistance. Women's Studies in Communication. Vol. 35(2):138–157. 2012. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]

[13] Harris Cheryl I.. Whiteness as Property. Harvard Law Review. Vol. 106(8)1993. JSTOR. [Cross Ref]

[14] Ladson-Billings Gloria. Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal. Vol. 32(3):465–491. 1995. American Educational Research Association (AERA). [Cross Ref]

[15] Jones Brandolyn, Hwang Eunjin, Bustamante Rebecca M. African American female professors’ strategies for successful attainment of tenure and promotion at predominately White institutions: It can happen. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice. Vol. 10(2):133–151. 2015. SAGE Publications. [Cross Ref]

[16] Love Bettina L.. Anti-Black state violence, classroom edition: The spirit murdering of Black children. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy. Vol. 13(1):22–25. 2016. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]

[17] Ochberg Richard L.. Interpreting Life StoriesEthics and Process in the Narrative Study of Lives. p. 97–113. 1996. SAGE Publications, Inc.. [Cross Ref]

[18] Paris Django. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy. Educational Researcher. Vol. 41(3):93–97. 2012. American Educational Research Association (AERA). [Cross Ref]

[19] Turner Caroline Sotello Viernes. Women of Color in Academe: Living with Multiple Marginality. The Journal of Higher Education. Vol. 73(1):74–93. 2002. Informa UK Limited. [Cross Ref]

[20] Young Jemimah L., Hines Dorothy E.. Killing My Spirit, Renewing My Soul: Black Female Professors’ Critical Reflections on Spirit Killings While Teaching. Women, Gender, and Families of Color. Vol. 6(1):18–25. 2018. University of Illinois Press. [Cross Ref]