Speaking Truth to Power: Exploring the Intersectional Experiences of Black Women in Computing

Abstract

This paper examines the narratives of 11 Black women in Computer Science (CS) to explore and understand their intersectional experiences (academic, professional, familial, etc.) in the field of Computing. We video-recorded the participants as they engaged in semi-structured interviews to explore and understand their experiences as Black women in Computing. Four coders engaged in content analysis on the video-recordings as well as transcripts of the video data in two rounds. Overall, our analysis revealed that the women in our study experienced discrimination, expectations from others that are too high or too low, isolation, sexism, and racism; yet they still choose to stay in the discipline. Remaining true to their personal and professional goals, having effective mentors, and inspiration from their fathers all contributed to their successful pathways and strategies of resistance.