Abstract
Black women college athletes navigate intersections of race, gender, and athletic ability within predominantly White institutions (PWIs). They can face stereotype threat, racialized academic expectations, and pressures to conform to dominant institution norms. This qualitative study explores the college experiences of Black women college athletes at a predominantly White institution (PWI), focusing on how intersecting oppressions and stereotypes influence their academic, social, and athletic lives. Guided by Black feminist thought (BFT) and stereotype threat theory, the research addresses two questions: What are the college experiences of BWCAs, and how do stereotypes affect these experiences? Findings reveal that pre-college experiences in predominantly White high schools provide familiarity with racialized learning environments, but fail to mitigate challenges such as stereotype threat, isolation, and invisibility. In the classroom, stereotype threat exacerbates feelings of insecurity and self-doubt, raising expectations to prove their intelligence through hypervisibility in academic interactions. Further, the racialized assumptions about Black women college athletes’ academic abilities present opportunities for them to either confront the oppression through self-definition or to adjust their behaviors through coping strategies. The findings underscore the critical need for PWIs to implement inclusive policies, culturally relevant programs, and mentorship initiatives that validate the complex identities of this population.
Recommended Citation
Ferguson, Tomika and Fine, Cherese
(2025)
"Navigating Intersections: How Stereotypes and Oppression Shape Black Women Student-Athletes’ College Journeys,"
Journal of Athlete Development and Experience: Vol. 7:
Iss.
3, Article 1.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/jade/vol7/iss3/1
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
JADE_Research