Stories of resilience: Black women’s voices

This conceptual paper aims to address the discrimination experienced by Black women in the workplace, especially in educational settings, drawing on previous research studies and the relevant literature. Biographical narratives were the main source of data. The narratives were analysed through an intersectional lens. The participants in the research were Black women. They were invited to describe their professional journeys, detailing how they navigated the obstacles in the terrain they had to traverse and how they overcame them to achieve advancement. The theory underpinning this research is critical Black feminism, with historical origins in principles of social justice and human rights. Scrutiny of the findings informed the emergence of new theoretical concepts. The most significant of these is ‘sophisticated and everyday racism’ which represents the subtle discrimination experienced by the Black women. Examples of the damaging impact of sophisticated and everyday racism combined with sexism emerged from the studies. The research revealed the extent of the racial trauma endured by Black women and the resultant decline in their wellbeing. This paper provides an overview with selected summaries of key narratives to illustrate the experience of Black women in Europe.