Lifting Voices: An Exploration of Black Girls’ Educational Experiences

Abstract

“Lifting Voices” is a reflection on both my own identity journey and that of several Black women educators as a means of examining how schools can be more intentional in supporting the identity development of their Black female students. By drawing connections across the educational experiences of the Black women I interviewed and putting them in conversation with the issues we address as educators who work with Black female students, I assert that our experiences do not exist in isolation—rather, many aspects of them are shared and transcend time and place. To recognize the manifestations of misogynoir still present in schools is to own that there is still work to be done without minimizing the progress that has been made. I primarily highlight representation in faculty and curriculum, educator training, and access to resources as concrete steps toward greater institutional support of Black girls and more broadly, the establishment of more inclusive school communities that nurture all students and celebrate differences.