Proto-Narrative: A Critical Exploration of the Cultural Identities Held by Black Women in STEM

Systemic structures have historically marginalized Black women, especially those with disabilities, from pursuing careers in STEM fields, perpetuating exclusionary practices within higher education institutions. The need for increased representation of Black women, including those with disabilities, in STEM has prompted institutions to prioritize graduation within this demographic. To meet the demand for more Black women entering the STEM field, higher education institutions encourage the integration of culturally relevant STEM curricula. Using culturally relevant models, such as Flake’s Four Dimensions of Cultural Identity, based on Paulo Freire’s Critical Reflection from the lens of Henri Tajfel’s Social Identity, humanizes the educational journey of Black women in STEM, fortifying the Black women in STEM industry. Building on Flake's Cultural Identity framework, this paper uses Freire's Critical Pedagogy to underscore the transformative potential of culturally aligned curricula, fostering a learning environment conducive to the empowerment of aspiring Black women in STEM while anchoring them to their cultural roots. Therefore, this paper explores reflective narratives of Black women in STEM during their higher education experiences, illuminating the significance of their cultural identity in shaping their agency in STEM. Their narratives seek to inform the development of STEM curricula that empower Black women with the introduction of the authors’ conceptual framework centered on cultural identity, learning communities, and agency. Within this framework, the proto-narratives of the study's participants, Black women in STEM with a disability, reveal how a sense of belonging within the learning community mediates the cultivation of agency within STEM. As such, this study elevates the experiences of Black women in STEM as proto-narratives, emphasizing these narratives as the genesis, in contrast to often labeled counter-narratives. It underscores the critical importance of recognizing and nurturing cultural identities to empower and advance the next generation of Black women in STEM.