You Do Belong! Transformative Black Women Faculty Recommendations for Broadening Participation in US P-20 Computing Education

Abstract

 This study aimed to amplify Black women faculty’s recommendations for broadening participation of the next generation of Black girls and women as they matriculate from primary school into advanced graduate degrees (P-20) in computing education (CE). As tenure-track faculty, these transformative women have attained the highest degree (i.e., Ph.D.) in postsecondary CE in the United States (US). To govern the knowledge validation process, I utilized Afrocentric feminist epistemology undergirded by critical race theory and Black feminist thought. Upon conducting thematic analysis, I identified four emergent themes to broaden participation of Black girls and women in computing: 1) improve access, quality, and early exposure to CE, 2) create equitable and equal spaces for Black girls and women, 3) confront unconscious biases of teachers and faculty, and 4) provide mentoring opportunities. As an emerging Black woman scholar, with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and 15 years of industry experience, I had a “unique angle of vision” to interpret and inform this study’s findings. This study builds upon limited knowledge about interventions needed to support Black girls and women in US P-20 computing education.