Conversation among black women graduate students: exploring social media self-expressions for the purpose of reclamation

Abstract

Having experienced exclusion from graduate programs and stereotyping related to their academic performance in the past, Black women graduate students (BWGS) continue to experience challenges and barriers in higher education settings. However, social media environments are spaces where BWGS can disrupt false narratives purported about Black womanhood and how Black women construct an understanding of self. The purpose of this research was to use dramaturgy, a methodology used to explore presentations of self, and Black feminist thought to examine the identity expressions of Black women graduate students. Organized in a conversation thread using social media data, the findings highlight how BWGS used social media to create positive self-definitions for Black women by showing support for themselves and others.