Date of Graduation
Spring 2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Policy, Planning, and Administration
Committee Chairperson
Orkideh Mohajeri, PhD
Committee Member
Francis Atuahene, PhD
Committee Member
Daris McInnis, EdD
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of second-generation Black Caribbean American women undergraduate students who attend U.S. predominantly white institutions. Black women students from ethnic minorities encounter racism, sexism, and ethnocentrism, all factors that can influence their persistence and completion within U.S. higher education and the economic outcomes post-graduation. Using Community Cultural Wealth as the guiding theoretical framework for this study, I focused on centering the strengths and skills of Black Caribbean women in their navigation of higher education. I used an interpretive phenomenological analysis as the study methodology. Participants included ten second-generation Black Caribbean cisgender women who are currently or were previously enrolled in a U.S. predominantly white institution. Participants completed a brief online questionnaire and participated in a semi-structured virtual interview. Interviews ranged between 60-90 minutes. Interview data was coded inductively and deductively to develop four themes. Study data demonstrates important factors in Black Caribbean women’s lives, including family connections, cultural and community pride, hope and dreams for the future, navigating culture shock, and resilience in educational challenges. Multiple forms of capital were referenced, with familial, aspirational, social, resistant, and navigational capitals as most prominent. Findings from this study will expand practice that centers the voices of ethnically diverse Black students through establishing an appreciative and authentic campus experience that centers the needs, strengths, and successes of culturally diverse student populations.
Final Version Confirmation
1
Recommended Citation
Phillips-Law, Arielle, "A Community Cultural Wealth Approach in Exploring the Lived Experiences of Second-Generation Black Caribbean American Undergraduate Women Attending U.S. Predominantly White Higher Education Institutions" (2026). West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects. 41.
https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_capstones/41