WE ARE HERE: A COUNTERNARRATIVE STUDY ON BLACK MOTHERS EXPERIENCES AS UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE STUDENTS

Abstract

Thirty-three percent of Black college students are parents, and two out of five Black women are mothers. Many Black student mothers believe that earning a college degree will help improve the economic and social trajectory for themselves and children (Cruse et al., 2019; Miller et al., 2011; Willis, 2019). While there is a robust amount of research focused on student parents, there are limited studies focused exclusively on the narratives of Black mothers. Central foci of this inquiry are Black mothers’ experiences as undergraduate students, their motivation for pursuing a college degree while being a student mother, and the resources and support needed to help them achieve their goals. The study draws on Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 1990; 2000) and Critical Race Theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012; Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) theoretical frameworks to provide a safe space for Black student mothers to share their counternarratives.