Juxtaposing #BlackGirlMagic as “empowering and problematic:” composite narratives of Black women in college.

Abstract

Across empirical examinations and within popular culture, Black women continue to (re)center and (re) define what being Black and woman mean within a society wherein Black women have been relegated to the margins. The purpose of our study was to highlight the complex and nuanced understandings of the hashtag BlackGirlMagic (BGM) as a mantra for Black women in focus groups at three higher education institutions (two predominantly White and one predominantly Black). In relationship to Collins' (2009) personal, community, and systemic dimensions of oppression, authors interpreted the following three themes: (a) juxtaposing BGM as "empowering and problematic;" (b) "her extraordinary has to be ordinary:" BGM should not be synonymous with perfection; and (c) complicating the BGM narrative by (re)defining "what it means to be a Black woman." Individual participant quotes are represented as composite narratives; implications for practice and research are discussed.

Eat glass and walk on fire, while managing a pandemic: Narratives of African American women who serve as senior housing officers.

“…This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly. Patton & Catching, 2009;Porter & Byrd, 2023). This approach to sharing our findings also allowed us to protect participants' identities (Caine et al, 2017), recognizing the limited number of African American women in senior housing officer positions in the United States.…”

“…Composite narratives have been utilized in critical research studies to highlight collective experiences among African and Black Americans and create counter stories (e.g., Corbin et al, 2018; L. D. Patton & Catching, 2009; Porter & Byrd, 2023). This approach to sharing our findings also allowed us to protect participants’ identities (Caine et al, 2017), recognizing the limited number of African American women in senior housing officer positions in the United States.…”

The soundtrack of my life: A hip hop feminist playlist for black college women at PWIs

“…hooks (2001) reflected on the transformative power of love in the search for self and social justice, and noted, “when we can see ourselves as we truly are and accept ourselves, we build the necessary foundation for self‐love” (p. 53). Scholars have also noted the persistent and positive impact of empowerment as a coping mechanism for Black women, which involves shifting power dynamics and rejecting ideologies that continue to oppress Black women (Collins et al., 2000; Porter & Byrd, 2021b; Stewart et al., 2019). Hip Hop feminists have reflected on the power of popular culture and #BlackGirlMagic anthems as acts of resistance that work to reaffirm the gendered racial identities of Black women and girls and encourage self‐love and self‐definition (Halliday & Brown, 2018; Lindsey et al., 2013).…”

Using an Antiracist Lens in School Counseling Research

“…Several scholars interpret gaps in performance between students of color and their peers as achievement gaps whereby the primary solution involves: (a) passively highlighting racist policies that fail students, (b) heavily focusing on individual student development (i.e., implementing practices to socialize students into a system of meritocracy), and (c) emphasizing the need to help Black and brown students catch up, instead of actively dismantling the racist policies maintaining the cycle of harm (ASCA, 2021;Holcomb-McCoy, 2021;Mullen et al, 2019). On the surface, the "catch up" cycle presents as helpful, but it perpetuates the notion that Black and brown students are innately inferior intellectually, causing psychological strain for those affected (Dumas, 2014(Dumas, , 2016Porter & Byrd, 2021;Strayhorn, 2009), and devaluing the strengths and intelligences Black and brown students possess (Washington, 2021;Williams & Portman, 2014).…”