Black Women Mathematics Professors: Underrepresented and Unapologetic

In this dissertation, I explore the lived experiences of 10 Black women mathematics professors as doctoral students and faculty members to better understand what it means to be a Black woman mathematics professor. I utilized cross-case analysis of interview data to surface broad themes pertaining to self-understanding and self-valuation; perceptions by others; and access to mentorship. I utilized within-case analyses to better understand these themes and how they manifested in similar and different ways for selected Black women mathematics faculty. To frame the study and interpret the phenomenal realities of Black women mathematics faculty, I drew on themes from Black feminist thought (Collins, 1989, 2000). To understand these realities in the context of mathematics, I drew on a multilevel framework that focuses on mathematics socialization and identity formation (Martin, 2000, 2012). Findings in this study highlighted the importance of an unapologetic self-understanding that contributes to how participants view themselves as Black women and as Black women mathematicians. The second major finding concerned the perceptions others held for Black women mathematics professors. Participants shared experiences of hypervisibility challenges and microaggressions through their interactions with students and faculty. The third major finding highlights the importance of participants’ access to formal or informal mentorship experiences when mentoring was available. Regardless of their individual experiences with mentors or without a mentor, all participants either desired to become mentors in the future or to maintain their existing mentoring relationships with students to help them navigate mathematics in higher education contexts.