Navigating the STEM Professoriate as a Black Woman: Surviving but at What Cost?

Introduction

The lack of diversity in institutions of higher education is well documented, yet despite calls to increase faculty diversity in the academy, the percentage of Black faculty has remained essentially constant. The number of articles regarding the experiences of students, staff, and faculty from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, point to the continued issues regarding institutional climate. This chapter discusses definitions of diversity and institutional reporting of diversity gains. The account uses an autoethnographic approach and includes the reflections of a Black woman in STEM with experience working at both a historical Black university (HBCU) and a liberal arts intensive predominantly White institution (PWI); examining whether diversity efforts have affected the number of female Black and African-American women in the STEM professoriate. The chapter ends with current efforts regarding diversity and inclusion, as well as recommendations of ways that institutions can help to foster a sense of belonging.