Are we there yet? An intersectional take on Black women academics' experiences in a South African university

Abstract

In this paper, we adopt an intersectional lens to explore and theorise the complex experiences of Black women academics in a research-intensive university in South Africa. We purposively recruited 10 Black women academics, ranging from early career academics, lecturers, to senior professors in the field. We relied on intersectionality to theorise Black women academics' challenges in navigating and negotiating their being and belonging in the university. We used semi-structured interviews as a data generation method to elicit the narratives/ stories/experiences of the Black women academics. The findings revealed two things. Firstly, they revealed that a large number of the research participants were "accidental academics" in higher education due to the nature of their entry and access to the university. Secondly, the findings also showed the important role that formal and informal mentoring plays in higher education as a catalyst for helping Black women academics access, negotiate, and succeed at university. We conclude this paper with some thoughts on the need for formalised and well-structured mentoring systems in higher education to support Black women academics' access, being, and belonging in the university.