Black Motherscholarship Within and Beyond the Academy

This book provides a comprehensive exploration of Black women academics’ legacy of knowledge production and intellectual thought, while balancing the intersecting pressures of social, familial, and academic responsibilities. Through the (her)stories of Black scholars, educators, activists, and mothers, it highlights how Black mothers in the academy navigate the interconnectedness of human rights, educational access, scholarship, pedagogy, and community service. Grounded in the intersectional experiences of Black womanhood—particularly mothering and othermothering—this book illustrates the profound impact of gender and race within higher education.

Edited by two Black motherscholars, this book centers the narratives of Black women in academia, amplifying their voices in response to the silencing of their experiences. It challenges institutions to reimagine policies and practices that support Black women scholars, addressing how they disrupt traditional understandings of knowledge production, Black womanhood, and motherhood in predominantly white academic spaces. This book explores five key themes: 1) Black motherscholars’ joy and wholeness as a form of resistance, 2) challenging white-centric notions of mothering and othermothering, 3) intergenerational experiences of Black motherscholars, 4) the impact of daughtering on their academic lives, and 5) revolutionary mothering in hostile academic environments.

This book incorporates a range of contributions, including empirical research, conceptual works, and creative expressions such as photography, and poetry, incorporating gender-expansive experiences of Black motherscholars beyond heteronormative perspectives. This book calls on higher education leaders to confront white patriarchy and the exploitation of Black women’s labor, providing strategies to support revolutionary mothering in academia. It amplifies Black motherscholars’ call for radical care and connection, fostering a more equitable academic future for Black women and their children.