“I decided…”: Agency in Black women professors

Abstract

Literature predominantly portrays Black women academics as individuals who usually lack a sense of belonging, unable to manage their workload and struggle with career progression in higher education. The oversaturation of this kind of literature can (over time) perpetuate a stereotypical idea that Black women academics are incapable of coping and succeeding in higher education institutions. Therefore, this article aims to explore how Black women professors can take responsibility for their successful academic outcomes. Bandura’s agentic theory of the self was used to frame this paper. A qualitative research design, using nine semi-structured interviews was adopted for the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Collectively, the Black women portrayed themselves as non-apologetic for being in the academic space, making time for writing and having a “go-getter” mentality. The findings present a line of thought that can help in challenging the stereotype about Black women academics.