1. Perceptions and Social Construction of Black Women During Their Collegiate Years Presenters: LaQuesha Foster, M.Ed., Shauna L. Hemingway, M.Ed. Cynthia Polk-Johnson, M.S.

2. Overview Introductions Icebreakers Theoretical Frameworks Group Discussions Questions

3. The Emergence of Black Studies 1960’s and 1970’s Changing Student Demographics Black Studies Programs, Cultural Centers, and Black Faculty and Staff Black Studies Void of Black Woman’s Voice

4. Questions Regarding Black Women How do Black women come to identify themselves as women? How do Black women socially construct the various roles they have in society? Is there a relationship to race, gender, self- esteem, academic performance, career aspirations, and relationships with people?

5. Feminist Identity Development Model (Downing & Roush) Passive Acceptance Embeddedness-Emanation Synthesis Active Commitment

6. The Womanist Identity Development Model The Womanist Identity Development (Ossana, Helms, Leonard, 1977; Cross, 1971) Pre-Encounter Encounter Immersion-Emersion Internalization

7. Black Women, Racial Identity and Womanist Identity Cross (1971) Boisnier (2003) & Watts (2006) Helms and Cook (1999) Sellars et al (1997) Poindexter-Cameron and Robinson (1997)

8. Self-Esteem, Racial Identity and Womanist Identity Watts (2006) and Rosenberg (1965) defined self- esteem as “positive or negative attitudes toward a particular object namely the self (p.321). Rosenberg (1965) exclaimed that individuals with high self-esteem accept themselves for who they are as individuals. Individuals with low self-esteem are characterized as lacking respect for and acceptance for themselves (Rosenberg,1965).

9. Audience Questions Self-Description: How would you describe yourself to yourself? Is the way you see yourself now different from the way you saw yourself in the post college experience? What led to those changes? Relationships: Looking over your college experiences, what relationships have been important? Why? Have you had a relationship with someone who helped you shape the person you have become? How would you describe this relationship? Education: Reflecting upon your college experience, who or what would have helped you be more successful in your academic pursuits?

10. Questions