Racial Identity Development on the Margins: The Narratives of Black Women College Students with Experiences in the Foster Care System

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative research study is to explore ways Black women college students with experiences in the foster care system construct meaning of their foster care experiences, and how these experiences have influenced their higher education experiences, and the current status of their racial identity development. Using semi-structured interviews, the participant’s narratives are constructed to span across defining moments in their childhood to their current selves in higher education. Guided by Black feminist thought and intersectionality, the questions that this research study asks are (a) how does being a Black woman with experiences in the foster care system impact a student’s experience in higher education? and (b) what kinds of knowledge do these Black women perceive as lessons, that they acquired during their time in the foster care system? In centering the experience of being in foster care, this research highlights intragroup differences among Black women college students to demonstrate the complexity of racial identity development that transcends the boundaries of traditional racial identity models of measurement. The findings of this research illustrate the complexity of racial identity development for Black women college student with experiences in the foster care system.