“Tone It Down”: The Whitewashing of Black Women Doctoral Students’ Research and Scholarship at Predominately White Institutions—Implications for Social Work Doctoral Education

ABSTRACT

While there is growing research on the structural and institutional barriers experienced by Black women faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWIs), little is known about the systemic marginalization faced by Black women doctoral students at these institutions, particularly those in doctoral social work programs. Given the increasing number of Black women doctoral students in social work programs at PWIs, there is a need to understand how social work doctoral education upholds institutional whiteness through attempts to whitewash Black women’s research and scholarship. This article contextualizes the experiences of Black women social work doctoral students using Black feminist thought perspective. The authors provide implications for social work doctoral education to dismantle structures that facilitate whitewashing experiences for Black women doctoral students.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no relevant financial interests or conflicts that relate to this research.

Notes

1 We use the terms whitewashing and academic whitewashing interchangeably in this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Betty L. Wilson

Betty L. Wilson is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Brittany Davis is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor at Johnson C. Smith University. Brandi Anderson is PhD Candidate and Graduate Instructor at the University of South Carolina (UofSC), Alumni Mentor at University of Michigan, and Graduate Civic Scholar and MAPP Mentor at UofSC. Parthenia Luke is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Christian Gorchow is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Agnes N. Nzomene Kahouo Foda is PhD student, PhD Students’ Representative of Diversity and Inclusion, and Member of the Society for Social Work and Research Communication Subcommittee at the University of South Carolina.

Brittany Davis

Betty L. Wilson is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Brittany Davis is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor at Johnson C. Smith University. Brandi Anderson is PhD Candidate and Graduate Instructor at the University of South Carolina (UofSC), Alumni Mentor at University of Michigan, and Graduate Civic Scholar and MAPP Mentor at UofSC. Parthenia Luke is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Christian Gorchow is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Agnes N. Nzomene Kahouo Foda is PhD student, PhD Students’ Representative of Diversity and Inclusion, and Member of the Society for Social Work and Research Communication Subcommittee at the University of South Carolina.

Brandi Anderson

Betty L. Wilson is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Brittany Davis is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor at Johnson C. Smith University. Brandi Anderson is PhD Candidate and Graduate Instructor at the University of South Carolina (UofSC), Alumni Mentor at University of Michigan, and Graduate Civic Scholar and MAPP Mentor at UofSC. Parthenia Luke is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Christian Gorchow is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Agnes N. Nzomene Kahouo Foda is PhD student, PhD Students’ Representative of Diversity and Inclusion, and Member of the Society for Social Work and Research Communication Subcommittee at the University of South Carolina.

Parthenia Luke

Betty L. Wilson is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Brittany Davis is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor at Johnson C. Smith University. Brandi Anderson is PhD Candidate and Graduate Instructor at the University of South Carolina (UofSC), Alumni Mentor at University of Michigan, and Graduate Civic Scholar and MAPP Mentor at UofSC. Parthenia Luke is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Christian Gorchow is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Agnes N. Nzomene Kahouo Foda is PhD student, PhD Students’ Representative of Diversity and Inclusion, and Member of the Society for Social Work and Research Communication Subcommittee at the University of South Carolina.

Christian Gorchow

Betty L. Wilson is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Brittany Davis is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor at Johnson C. Smith University. Brandi Anderson is PhD Candidate and Graduate Instructor at the University of South Carolina (UofSC), Alumni Mentor at University of Michigan, and Graduate Civic Scholar and MAPP Mentor at UofSC. Parthenia Luke is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Christian Gorchow is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Agnes N. Nzomene Kahouo Foda is PhD student, PhD Students’ Representative of Diversity and Inclusion, and Member of the Society for Social Work and Research Communication Subcommittee at the University of South Carolina.

Agnes N. Nzomene Kahouo Foda

Betty L. Wilson is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Brittany Davis is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina and Assistant Professor at Johnson C. Smith University. Brandi Anderson is PhD Candidate and Graduate Instructor at the University of South Carolina (UofSC), Alumni Mentor at University of Michigan, and Graduate Civic Scholar and MAPP Mentor at UofSC. Parthenia Luke is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Christian Gorchow is PhD Candidate at the University of South Carolina. Agnes N. Nzomene Kahouo Foda is PhD student, PhD Students’ Representative of Diversity and Inclusion, and Member of the Society for Social Work and Research Communication Subcommittee at the University of South Carolina.