Sistas in Crisis: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry into the Lives of Black Women Student Affairs Practitioners within Historically White Institutions

Abstract

Black women practitioners who work at Historically White Institutions occupy institutional spaces that were not created to support how they exist and thrive as Black women. Through their intersectional identities, they assist, persist, and resist the institutional shackles that were left untouched by the institutional practices of diversity and inclusion. In fact, they are tethered to a field that places their needs, whether they be emotional, spiritual, or physical secondary to the institutional mission. Although many Black women practitioners take on their duties with altruistic intent, it can often leave them feeling exposed, isolated, and burned out from the injury. This Hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of eight Black women student affairs practitioners who work within Historically White Institutions to contribute to the dearth in relevant related literature. Within the findings, the study identifies two main themes and three subcategories that provide an understanding of the lifeworld of a Black SAPro. The two main themes were: Black Women Don’t Get to be Weak or Tired, and that Black Women Cannot Disengage From their Work Role. The subcategories which emerged from the data were: Heightened Raced and Gendered Expectations, Frustration, Irritation: Black Women Workload vs. Whiteness and Work, and Jill of All Trades. Most importantly, this study not only captures a glimpse of the intersectional lived reality of Black women SAPros but also underscores their work within an imperialist capitalist patriarchal system.