Introduction

The Status of Black Women in the United States reported in 2017 that Black women are disproportionately likely to be mothers while pursuing a college education (DuMonthier et al. 2017). A briefing paper issued by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) indicates that two in five (i.e. 37 percent) of all Black women undergraduate students are raising dependent children (2017). Contrary to common perceptions, according to a Journal of Blacks in Higher Education publication from 2005, many Black single mothers are educated beyond high school, and others are seeking education toward better conditions for themselves and their families. Nevertheless, one of the most prevalent racial stereotypes about Black single mothers is that of inadequacy, particularly that they are uneducated. Single mothers in college are challenged with balancing a range of responsibilities including school, parenthood and often also employment. For Black single mothers, the added burden of racial stereotypes and myths presents further challenges to succeeding as both students and parents.

To date, little scholarly attention has been paid to Black mothers, in general, who are pursuing higher education while raising children. Based on data collected using a questionnaire about Black student mothers currently or formerly enrolled at US colleges and universities, we assess self-perceptions and mechanisms of self-determination. A more comprehensive view of the experiences of Black student mothers can help highlight strategies that are effective in challenging existing distortions about Black womanhood and motherhood as well as debunking negative racial stereotypes associated with Black mothers. We posit that a look at the agency and lived experiences of Black women student parents can help in designing university and college programs and services better suited to support these students’ overall success in higher education.

The present exploratory study aims to identify patterns, ideas or hypotheses to gain insights into the topic of Black student mothers’ college/university experience that has, thus far, been understudied. This essay is organized as follows. First, a literature review provides a view of the major discursive positions regarding issues Black women experience at the intersection of motherhood and college attendance. Next, the methodology section outlines the conceptual framework, data collection and sample.