05/23/2026
https://youtu.be/NcyyJdHCf3o
I forgot to hit the record button during my Rhetoric Society of America panel presentation today. So, I just did a voice-over of my slides. Hopefully, you will find this helpful.
ABSTRACT:
Since the 1970s, Black women in U.S. higher education have navigated intersecting forms of racism, sexism, and institutional marginalization that profoundly shape their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Despite increased representation, Black women continue to face hostile campus climates, disproportionate service burdens, and cultural expectations of unyielding strength. Drawing on a womanist framework, this paper examines how these intersecting oppressions affect Black women’s health outcomes and how Black women draw on cultural, spiritual, and communal resilience to survive and resist. Integrating foundational and contemporary scholarship (Aya 2024; Cook 2024; Banks 2024; JBHE 2022; Evans 2021; Jones 2020; Smith et al. 2022; Wingfield 2022), this paper argues that Black women’s wellness must be centered in institutional policy, practice, and culture. A womanist approach highlights the need for holistic, community-rooted strategies that affirm Black women’s humanity and prioritize their well-being.
A presentation to the Rhetoric Society Association 2026 Annual Conference. Panel "Breast Cancer and Higher Education."
