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1. The Intersectional Experiences of Black Women in Computing

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3328778.3366873  

   Rankin, Yolanda A. ; Thomas, Jakita O. ( February 2020 , Proceedings for the 51st Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education)

   Zhang & Sherriff (Ed.)

   Efforts to broaden participation in computing have led to gender-focused interventions intended to increase the number of women in the field of computing. However, such efforts have failed to significantly increase the percentage of Black women in computing. For example, only 1% of the 28,884 bachelor\textquotesingle s degrees in computing were awarded to Black women in 2018. Moreover, too few empirical studies have intentionally explored the lived experiences of Black women, an often overlooked and understudied population in the computing ecosystem. In this paper, we introduce intersectionality - the complex overlap of socially constructed identities such as race, gender, class, sexuality, etc. - as a theoretical framework and springboard for exploring the lived experiences of Black women in computing. We interview 14 Black women in various stages of the computing ecosystem (undergraduate students, graduate students and early career professionals) to understand how intersectionality influences their ability to persist in computing. Preliminary findings from the analysis of the 14 interviews provides insights into how the interlocking systems of oppression (i.e., gendered racism) play out in computing education and negatively impact the recruitment and retention of Black women in the field of computing. 

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2. Changing the Face of STEM: Review of Literature on The Role of Mentors in the Success of Undergraduate Black Women in STEM Education

   Dickens, D. ( September 2021 , Journal of research initiatives)

   The lack of ethnic and gender diversity in STEM undergraduate programs may lead to diversity and equity issues in STEM careers. However, some research suggests that mentoring influences the career trajectory of Black undergraduate women students in STEM. The investigation into these phenomena highlights suggestions for future research on mentoring Black undergraduate women in STEM. More recently, empirical research on mentoring among Black women have gained some momentum. Furthermore, with the increasing diversity and inclusivity demands from #ShutdownSTEM, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, there is a focus on correcting barriers to access in STEM. Therefore, this conceptual paper reviews the literature on mentoring undergraduate Black women in STEM, effective mentoring best practices, and future research and policymaking suggestions. 

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3. Changing the Face of STEM: Review of Literature on The Role of Mentors in the Success of Undergraduate Black Women in STEM Education

   Dickens, D. ( September 2021 , Journal of research initiatives)

   The lack of ethnic and gender diversity in STEM undergraduate programs may lead to diversity and equity issues in STEM careers. However, some research suggests that mentoring influences the career trajectory of Black undergraduate women students in STEM. The investigation into these phenomena highlights suggestions for future research on mentoring Black undergraduate women in STEM. More recently, empirical research on mentoring among Black women have gained some momentum. Furthermore, with the increasing diversity and inclusivity demands from #ShutdownSTEM, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, there is a focus on correcting barriers to access in STEM. Therefore, this conceptual paper reviews the literature on mentoring undergraduate Black women in STEM, effective mentoring best practices, and future research and policymaking suggestions. 

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4. Exploring the impact of “onlyness” among Black women doctoral students in computer science and engineering.

   https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000583  

   Joshi, Aishwarya P ; Shavers, Marjorie C ; Spencer, Breauna M ; Artis, Sharnnia ; LeSure, Stacie ( May 2024 , Journal of Diversity in Higher Education)

   Given the continuous underrepresentation of Black women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields (Artis et al., 2018; Spencer et al., 2022), this study delves into the nuanced experiences of Black women doctoral candidates in computer science and engineering. Central to this exploration is the multifaceted mental health impact of “onlyness”—a term developed through this research to encapsulate the unique challenges these women face due to their significant underrepresentation. Employing grounded theory (Corbin & Strauss, 2015), interviews with 32 Black women doctoral students revealed not just the challenges of being the only ones in their respective programs but also how these experiences initiate a complex cycle of isolation, self-doubt, impostor syndrome, and substantial emotional and mental distress. This article aims to highlight the critical need for higher education administrators and faculty advisors to adopt intersectional and systemic approaches to support Black women in STEM (Collins & Bilge, 2020; Joshi et al., 2021). Furthermore, it offers insights into the resilience strategies and coping mechanisms these women employ to navigate their doctoral journeys, thereby contributing to discussions on enhancing their retention in STEM graduate programs. 

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5. Retaining Black Women in Computing: A Comparative Analysis of Interventions for Computing Persistence

   https://doi.org/10.1145/3635313  

   Fisk, Susan R ; Watts, Brittany ; Dress, Courtney ; Lee, Charlotte ; Rorrer, Audrey ; McKlin, Tom ; Barnes, Tiffany ; Payton, Jamie ( June 2024 , ACM Transactions on Computing Education)

   Black women remain severely underrepresented in computing despite ongoing efforts to diversify the field. Given that Black women exist at the intersection of both racial and gendered identities, tailored approaches are necessary to address the unique barriers Black women face in computing. However, it is difficult to quantitatively evaluate the efficacy of interventions designed to retain Black women in computing, since samples of computing students typically contain too few Black women for robust statistical analysis. Using about a decade of student survey responses from an National Science Foundation–funded Broadening Participation in Computing alliance, we use regression analyses to quantitatively examine the connection between different types of interventions and Black women’s intentions to persist in computing and how this compares to other students (specifically, Black men, white women, and white men). This comparison allows us to quantitatively explore how Black women’s needs are both distinct from—and similar to—other students. We find that career awareness and faculty mentorship are the two interventions that have a statistically significant, positive correlation with Black women’s computing persistence intentions. No evidence was found that increasing confidence or developing skills/knowledge was correlated with Black women’s computing persistence intentions, which we posit is because Black women must be highly committed and confident to pursue computing in college. Last, our results suggest that many efforts to increase the number of women in computing are focused on meeting the needs of white women. While further analyses are needed to fully understand the impact of complex intersectional identities in computing, this large-scale quantitative analysis contributes to our understanding of the nuances of Black women’s needs in computing.

    

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