Facilitating liberatory relationships for women of color in academia through mentorship

Abstract

In this chapter we share about the history of women of color in higher education, the pervasive marginalization of their presence and perspectives, and the need for liberatory relationships. We highlight ethnographic research we conducted on relationships spanning 19 years between three multigenerational women of color to give more language to the unique, transformational, and liberatory aspects of these relationships. Through approaching mentorship with critical pedagogies, these relationships have developed into spaces of transformative learning, liberation, and as sites as resistance to the systemic power and inequities at a predominantly white institution. From this original research study, we outline the core themes and valuable attributes necessary for the success of these relationships that emerged. We present in detail the Liberatory Mentorship for Women of Color model to describe such relationships. The model is presented with reflection questions to help readers prepare for the implementation of this research-based approach to improve student experiences.