Researching While Black (and Female)

The path from undergraduate to the professoriate ranks is a running faucet for Black women in the academy. Of the nearly 800,000 full-time faculty at degree granting institutions, Black women represent only 0.8% of assistant, 0.5% of associate, and less than 0.3% of full professors. Racism, sexism, classism, and elitist beliefs about what constitutes a scholarly pedigree and appropriate research, populations of interest, and publication outlets permeate their academic homes. I reflect on my experiences as a mid-career, tenured, Black woman at a research-intensive, Big 10 university and discuss successes, missteps, and transformational moments.