In the company of my sister-colleagues: professional counterspaces for African American women student affairs administrators

ABSTRACT

Although conceptual models exist that describe the role of counterspaces in promoting well-being among marginalised individuals, not enough is known about the composition of professional counterspaces for Black women employed in higher education. The African American Women’s Summit (AAWS) is a national professional development programme in the U.S. known as a professional counterspace. Semi-structured interviews were used in this study to explore the experiences of seven African American women student affairs administrators who consistently participated in the AAWS between 2006 and 2011. Participants described the AAWS as a culturally homogeneous experience, infused with a variety of culturally responsive resources, that was delivered via a culturally intentional curriculum. Included is a discussion of the characteristics of professional counterspaces situated in Black feminist thought and a Counterspace conceptual model, which are the frameworks that grounded this particular inquiry. Areas of future praxis are also presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Race and ethnicities
• women
• qualitative interviews
• higher education
• North America

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Dr. Nicole M. West is an Assistant Professor in the Student Affairs in Higher Education program at Missouri State University. As a Black feminist scholar, her research centers on Black women’s participation in postsecondary education in an effort to enhance their academic achievement, professional success, and personal well-being.