Black Women Faculty Counselor Educators: The Perceptions and Lived Experiences of Recruitment, Persistence, and Organizational Justice: A Phenomenological Study

Black women represent a small percentage of full-time faculty, and their academic trajectory is often fraught with oppression, discrimination, and marginalization. Few studies examine the lived experiences of Black women faculty (BWF) in counselor education programs at predominately White institutions (PWIs). Therefore, this descriptive phenomenological study aimed to explore the perceived and lived experiences of six BWF counselor educators. Black feminist theory (BFT) and organizational justice framed the study. Braun and Clark’s six-phase thematic analysis approach was utilized. Professional life roles, work-life balance, trusted relationships, freedom of faith expression, student perceptions, and the space of patriarchy, to name a few, were emerging themes. Forms of oppression were examined through organizational justice . Findings from the study have implications for faculty, administrators, policymakers, human resource professionals, and adult and health educators. Self-care strategies for BWF counselor educators were also recommended.