An Intersectional Approach to Understanding Black Women’s Motivations to Attend a Historically Black College for Women

Historically, women of African descent had limited entry into U.S. colleges, contributing to the emergence of women’s historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Today, little is known about Black students’ reasons for attending women’s HBCUs. Adopting a Black Feminist Thought framework, the current research examined the relationship between Black women’s racial and gender identity centralities and their race- and gender-related reasons for attending a women’s HBCU. Survey results from one hundred and thirty-four incoming students demonstrated the interaction between racial and gender identity centrality and intersectional gendered racial identity centrality predicted students’ desire to attend a women’s HBCU for race-related and gendered race-related reasons. These findings provide important insights into the identity-related factors that motivate Black women’s college choice.