Proto-Narrative: A Critical Exploration of the Cultural Identities Held by Black Women in STEM

Sherita Flake; Rebecca Lubin

doi:10.29333/ejecs/2061

Authors

Sherita Flake American University https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9254-5773
Rebecca Lubin https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9270-077X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2061

Keywords:

black women, STEM, cultural identity, higher education, cultural pedagogy, Decoloniality

Abstract

Systemic structures have historically marginalized Black women, especially those with disabilities, from pursuing careers in STEM fields, perpetuating exclusionary practices within higher education institutions. The need for increased representation of Black women, including those with disabilities, in STEM has prompted institutions to prioritize graduation within this demographic. To meet the demand for more Black women entering the STEM field, higher education institutions encourage the integration of culturally relevant STEM curricula. Using culturally relevant models, such as Flake’s Four Dimensions of Cultural Identity, based on Paulo Freire’s Critical Reflection from the lens of Henri Tajfel’s Social Identity, humanizes the educational journey of Black women in STEM, fortifying the Black women in STEM industry. Building on Flake's Cultural Identity framework, this paper uses Freire's Critical Pedagogy to underscore the transformative potential of culturally aligned curricula, fostering a learning environment conducive to the empowerment of aspiring Black women in STEM while anchoring them to their cultural roots. Therefore, this paper explores reflective narratives of Black women in STEM during their higher education experiences, illuminating the significance of their cultural identity in shaping their agency in STEM. Their narratives seek to inform the development of STEM curricula that empower Black women with the introduction of the authors’ conceptual framework centered on cultural identity, learning communities, and agency. Within this framework, the proto-narratives of the study's participants, Black women in STEM with a disability, reveal how a sense of belonging within the learning community mediates the cultivation of agency within STEM. As such, this study elevates the experiences of Black women in STEM as proto-narratives, emphasizing these narratives as the genesis, in contrast to often labeled counter-narratives. It underscores the critical importance of recognizing and nurturing cultural identities to empower and advance the next generation of Black women in STEM.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Sherita Flake, American University

Dr. Sherita Flake is a Senior Professorial Lecturer and MAT Program Director at American University. She is dedicated to urban education and is known for her cultural identity research and framework in STEM education and leadership. Before American University, she served as Clinical Faculty of Mathematics at Johns Hopkins University and was an instructional leader in K-12 school districts across Tennessee, Virginia, Michigan, California, and DC. Dr. Flake has actively participated in educational committees and earned prestigious awards such as the Governor's Award of Excellence in Virginia, EPIC Gold status in Tennessee, and the Bryan K. Ingram Award for Leadership at Johns Hopkins University.

Rebecca Lubin

Dr. Rebecca Lubin is a dedicated educator, leader, and advocate with a passion for special education and equitable learning. With a Doctorate in Educational Policy and Leadership, Dr. Lubin has made significant contributions to the field, particularly in advocating for students with multiple exceptionalities. She is a university professor specializing in special education, where she mentors future educators and develops culturally responsive teaching strategies that promote inclusivity. Known for her visionary thinking and practical solutions, Dr. Lubin is a strong proponent of lifelong learning and integrity. She has led initiatives aimed at improving educational equity and ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds receive the support they need to thrive.

References

Adichie, C. N. (2009). The danger of a single story [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

Alexander, B. K. (2015). The performative sustainability of race: Reflections on Black culture and the politics of identity. Peter Lang Inc.

Bamberg, M. (Ed.). (2007). Narrative: State of the art. John Benjamins Publishing Company. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/bct.6

Bang, M., & Medin, D. (2010). Cultural processes in science education: Supporting the navigation of multiple epistemologies. Science Education, 94(6), 1008–1026. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20392 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20392

Bell, L. A. (2010). Storytelling for social justice: Connecting narrative and the arts in antiracist teaching. Routledge.

Biti, M., & Rosanda Žigo, I. (2021). The silenced narrator and the notion of “proto-narrative”. SAGE Open, 11(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020988522 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020988522

Brown, R. N., Callier, D. M., Garner, P. R., Hill, D. C., Olayiwola, P., & Robinson, J. L. (2015). Staging Black girl utopias: A Sweetwater tribute. Departures in Critical Qualitative Research, 4(1), 137–149. https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2015.4.1.137 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/dcqr.2015.4.1.137

Bruner, J. (2002). Making stories: Law, literature, life. Harvard University Press.

Collins, P. H. (1986). Learning from the outsider within: The sociological significance of Black feminist thought. Social Problems, 33(6), 514–532. https://doi.org/10.2307/800672 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/sp.1986.33.6.03a00020

Collins, P. H. (1990). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge.

Collins, P. H. (2000). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge.

Collins, P. H. (2015). Intersectionality's definitional dilemmas. Annual Review of Sociology, 41, 1–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-073014-112142

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, (1989), Article 8. https://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8

Crenshaw, K. (2005). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), 1241–1299. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039

Davis, A.Y. (2003). Are prisons obsolete? Seven Stories Press.

Dei, G. J. S. (2010). Teaching Africa: Towards a transgressive pedagogy. Springer.

Eglash, R. (2016). Decolonizing science and technology studies: A postcolonial computational approach toward the study of science. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 41(6), 991–1014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0162243916658707

Flake, S. L. (2023a). The power of identity, community, and the right fit. The Chronicle of Mentoring and Coaching, 7(1), 527–533. https://www.mentor-cmc.com/cmc/cmc2023/

Flake, S. L. (2023b). When we thrive: Exploring the identities of Black STEM teachers during their teacher preparation experience (Publication No. 30310222) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Memphis]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civic courage. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Giroux, H. A. (2011). On critical pedagogy. Continuum.

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3366/para.1994.17.3.270

hooks, b. (2003). Teaching community: A pedagogy of hope. Routledge.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2009). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. Jossey-Bass.

Lorde, A. (1984). Sister outsider: Essays and speeches. Crossing Press.

Love, B. L. (2019). We want to do more than survive: Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom. Beacon Press.

Lubin, R. C. (2022). Gifted state of mind: The critical exploration of leadership perspectives on elementary gifted education pedagogy (Publication No 29252435) [Doctoral dissertation, Drexel University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Lugones, M. (2008). The coloniality of gender. In L. S. Lima, E. O. Quezada, & J. Roth (Eds.), Feminism in movements (pp. 35–58). https://doi.org/10.1515/9783839461020-002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783839461020-002

Mezirow, J. (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. Jossey-Bass.

Mignolo, W. (2000). Local histories/global designs: Coloniality, subaltern knowledges, and border thinking. Princeton University Press.

Moraga, C., & Anzaldúa, G. (Eds.). (1983). This bridge called my back: Writings by radical women of color. Kitchen Table Women of Color Press.

Nussbaum, M. C. (2010). Not for profit: Why democracy needs the humanities. Princeton University Press.

Ong, M., Smith, J. M., & Ko, L. T. (2018). Counterspaces for women of color in STEM higher education: Marginal and central spaces for persistence and success. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 55(1), 206–245. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21417 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21417

Quijano, A. (2007). Coloniality and modernity/rationality. Cultural Studies, 21(2-3), 168–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502380601164353 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09502380601164353

Ricoeur, P. (2004). Memory, history, forgetting. University of Chicago Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226713465.001.0001

Schön, D. A. (2017). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315237473

Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and Indigenous peoples. Zed Books Ltd.

Toliver, S. R. (2020). Can I get a witness? Speculative fiction as testimony and counterstory. Journal of Literacy Research, 52(4), 507–529. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X20966362 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X20966362

Tuck, E., & Yang, K. W. (2014). R-Words: Refusing research. In D. Paris & M. T. Winn (Eds.), Humanizing research: Decolonizing qualitative inquiry with youth and communities (pp. 223–248). SAGE Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781544329611.n12

Yosso, T. J. (2005). Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory discussion of community cultural wealth. Race Ethnicity and Education, 8(1), 69–91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1361332052000341006