Stitching Narratives: Poetic Autoethnography of Black Women’s Mentorship in Academia

Abstract

This study utilizes collaborative poetic autoethnography to explore the mentorship experiences of three Black women doctoral students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Through a series of poems, the research illustrates the nuanced challenges and resilience in seeking guidance within spaces that often marginalize their voices. This writing centers intersectionality as a theoretical framework, illuminating the complex dynamics of identity as they intersect with academia. The poetic narratives serve as a way for expressing the lived realities of these students, highlighting the lack of Black women mentors and the consequent need to navigate a system not built with them in mind. The study calls for a reimagined mentorship that is acutely responsive to the multifaceted identities of Black women in academia, advocating for increased representation and intentional support.