Reframing the impostor phenomenon for Black college students

Coined by researchers Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in 1978, the impostor phenomenon (IP) describes the experience of doubting one’s skills, intellect, and talents despite one’s many achievements. The phenomenon was originally studied amongst high-achieving White women from various professional fields and over time has been conceptualised as an internal psychological experience. As a result, recommendations to address IP have mostly focused on intervening at an individual or micro level. More recently, research on IP has expanded to include racially marginalised populations, including college students who identify as Black/African American. While more research needs to be done around how Black/African American students experience IP, recent studies have indicated a relationship between IP and experiences of racial discrimination for Black/African American students. Taking into consideration the collective history of racism, discrimination, and exclusion that Black students have faced within higher education institutions in the U.S. and abroad, and that they continue to currently face, the experience of IP may be more than just an internal psychological experience. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reframing in the way that IP is discussed as it relates to Black/African American college students. This paper argues that for Black students, the experience of IP is more than just an internal reaction but is instead a byproduct of structural racism and white supremacist norms that continue to be present within higher education today. Recommendations for how higher education institutions can begin to address IP at both micro and macro levels will also be discussed.