In the company of my sister-colleagues: professional counterspaces for African American women student affairs administrators

West, Nicole M.

doi:10.1080/09540253.2018.1533926

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Student affairs professional associations like NASPA, ACPA, and NASAP should offer culturally grounded programming specifically tailored for administrators who wish to move into faculty positions. These opportunities could benefit Black women if they were developed following West's (2018) recommendations about the composition of professional counterspaces, which are culturally homogenous, infused with culturally responsive resources, and delivered via a culturally intentional curriculum.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embodying Black feminist epistemology to make green grass grow: The transition from administrator to academic for a Black woman in student affairs.

West¹

2022

Journal of Diversity in Higher Education

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This Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) builds on McCluskey-Titus and Cawthon's (2004) use of the "grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" metaphor to explore the experiences of a Black American woman faculty member transitioning from her role as a student affairs administrator to a full-time, tenure-earning faculty member. Specifically, I recount how my positionality as a Black feminist scholarpracademic was essential in successfully navigating the administrator-to-academic transition from one predominantly white institution (PWI) to another. Derived from a deductive thematic analysis grounded in Collins' (2000) Black feminist epistemology and relying on metaphors related to greener grass, I present several narratives that illuminate my experiences transitioning from administrator to academic and offer strategies that may be useful to Black women considering or in the midst similar transitions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embodying Black feminist epistemology to make green grass grow: The transition from administrator to academic for a Black woman in student affairs.

West¹

2022

Journal of Diversity in Higher Education

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“…Five educational groups and local or national organizations of Black women were categorized as professional sistah circles. Groups included the African American Women's Summit (West, 2017, 2019), Sisters of the Academy (Bertrand-Jones et al, 2015), Sistah Network (Allen & Joseph, 2018), as well as Sisters Mentoring Sisters (Green & King, 2001), all of which were facilitated by self-identified Black women and focused on supporting Black women in higher education at various stages—student or professional. Because of their focus, the groups were small in size and held at a university (40%, n = 2) or at a professional conference with large numbers of Black women attendees (60%, n = 3).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall, these groups were positively received by Black women (e.g., Green & King, 2001). The groups provided accountability for professional milestones, a professional network of mentors and peers, and space to discuss topics that were personally and professionally relevant (Bertrand-Jones et al, 2015; West, 2019). Group participants reported professional (e.g., workplace success) and psychosocial benefits (e.g., empowerment; Allen & Joseph, 2018).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Black feminist theorists and scholars have paid homage to the sistah circle space in foundational texts such as Sisters of the Yam (hooks, 1993). Moreover, the idea has been taken up by Black women healers (e.g., psychologists) in texts such as Soothe Your Nerves (Neal- Barnett & Mendelson, 2003) and Sacred Woman (Afua, 2001), and other Black women professionals who reference Black women counter spaces (West, 2019). Across these texts, the sistah circle space is theoretically conceptualized and engaged as a space for collective support and healing.…”

Section: Sistah Circles As a Theoretical Phenomenonmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of their focus, the groups were small in size and held at a university (40%, n = 2) or at a professional conference with large numbers of Black women attendees (60%, n = 3). Among those groups that reported the frequency and duration of their sistah circle gathering, two met once for a full day (West, 2017(West, , 2019, one met daily for seven full days (Bertrand-Jones et al, 2015), and one met for 60 min but the frequency of the gathering(s) was not reported (Green & King, 2001). The groups centered on topics, such as the structure of the university and its decision-making processes, personal development (e.g., spirituality and self-empowerment), financial planning, workplace mistreatment (e.g., racism and sexism), as well as ways to enhance one's work environment.…”

Section: Types Of Sistah Circlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

An Integrative Review of Sistah Circles in Empirical Research

Jones

Davis

Gaskin-Cole

2023

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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Sistah circles are spaces shared by Black women who share similar goals, exchange resources (e.g., support), and invest in developing strong relational bonds over time. Considering the significance of sistah circles for Black women's wellness and survival, in this study we examined how this phenomenon has been researched in the social sciences literature and, in turn, offered a more refined conceptual definition and framework that will direct future research on this topic. Specifically, we completed an integrative review of empirical studies on sistah circles using social science databases and search engines to identify relevant literature. Articles included for review met the following criteria: (a) published between 2000 and 2020, (b) analyzed empirical data, (c) were composed of Black women participants, and (d) mentioned Black women groups or friendships. Qualifying sources ( N = 45) were organized into a taxonomy of three types of sistah circles: health-focused, social, and professional. We also analyzed sample characteristics, research methods, and publication trends across all of the articles included in the review. Based upon our taxonomy and results of our review, we highlight the strengths and limitations of the current scholarship focused on Black women's sistah circles and offer suggestions regarding future research and practice. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843231154564

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Mentoring to subvert racialized‐gendered spaces: Critical perspectives of black women academic administrators

Cobb‐Roberts,

Esnard

2023

New Drctns for Student Srvcs

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In the company of my sister-colleagues: professional counterspaces for African American women student affairs administrators

Cited by 21 publications

References 20 publications

Embodying Black feminist epistemology to make green grass grow: The transition from administrator to academic for a Black woman in student affairs.

Embodying Black feminist epistemology to make green grass grow: The transition from administrator to academic for a Black woman in student affairs.

An Integrative Review of Sistah Circles in Empirical Research

Mentoring to subvert racialized‐gendered spaces: Critical perspectives of black women academic administrators

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