“God Is a Keeper”: A Phenomenological Investigation of Christian African American Women’s Experiences With Religious Coping

Facing the Storm: Our First Annual Faculty of Color Writing Retreat as a Microcosm for Being a Black Woman in the Academy

“…The COE study confirmed much of the existing literature about FOC in the academy (e.g., Avent Harris, Garland Mckinney, and Fripp 2019;Cartwright et al 2018) and showed that FOC experienced discrimination from fellow faculty and students, felt undervalued, and were apprehensive about the tenure and promotion process due to lack of representation amongst tenured faculty. To that end, the diversity committee formed recommendations for senior level administration that would support FOC through the tenure process.…”

“…I was also taught to celebrate the storm and "be better." It is likely that these ideas have contributed to the BSW phenomenon Avent Harris, Garland Mckinney, and Fripp 2019;Overstreet 2019) and the internal and external pressure of Black women in the Academy to endure and, in many cases, to expect hardships and challenges.…”

“…The aforementioned statistics clearly illustrate disparities in the recruitment, hiring, and retention of BWF; however, it is also important to examine the narratives behind the numbers. Researchers have documented that Black women experience multiple circumstances that complicate their academic journeys, such as racial battle fatigue, imposter syndrome, workplace discrimination, presumptions of incompetence by colleagues and students, inequitable access to resources, experiences of macro and microaggressions, and internal and external pressures to adhere to the Black Superwoman (BSW) phenomenon (Avent Harris, Garland Mckinney, and Fripp 2019;Kelly and Winkle-Wagner 2017;Overstreet 2019;Walkington 2017). Furthermore, BWF at predominately white institutions (PWIs), who are often alone in their programs or departments, report feelings of isolation and detachment from the professional camaraderie and support from colleagues (Kelly and Winkle-Wagner 2017).…”

Deep like the Rivers: Black Women’s Use of Christian Mindfulness to Thrive in Historically Hostile Institutions

“…My reliance on biblical doctrine to shape my mindfulness practices is typical of the behaviors of many Black women seeking Godly ways to achieve and maintain mental and emotional health. A phenomenological study of seven Black women found the women used positive religious strategies, including meditation on God's word, gathering with community to study the Bible, use of scriptures to focus attention, and viewing God as "with us", to cope and thrive (Avant Harris et al 2019). In her in-depth study of the practices three Black women used for mental healing and body nurturing, Panton (2017) described the "Christian perspective" on mindfulness as a connection between the physical, spiritual, and emotional parts of a human; she linked this perspective to an explicit awareness of and openness to God.…”

Community‐Based Participatory Research With Black Churches

“…Watkins and Johnson suggested church involvement as a possible protective factor. This finding is important in that Black Americans tend to identify as highly spiritual and religious and, in turn, are more likely to seek mental and emotional support from their faith leaders and communities rather than traditional counseling settings (Avent Harris & Wong, 2018; Avent Harris, McKinney, & Fripp, 2019). Thus, counselors must begin to reassess outreach efforts and come to terms with the realization that a population of people who may need services may not ever present to their office.…”