The Womxn of Worth at UNC at Chapel Hill

Abstract

In a study of Black alumnae from historically White institutions, Turner Kelly et al. (2017) found that although Black womxn graduated, they did not thrive. While there is institutional and national attention—as distinct from support—on the academic and cultural barriers Men of Color face, the Womxn of Worth Initiative (W Initiative) addresses the psychosocial needs of Womxn of Color, who are frequently overlooked by institutional support systems because of their academic success. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Black womxn experienced similar effects as noted by Turner Kelly et al. and sought out staff members to work with them to create an organization to support them, comparable to the existing university initiative that supported Men of Color. Despite not being directly funded by the university, the W initiative was born in 2016. The W Initiative aims to take some of the burden off of Womxn Students of Color and place it back on institutional actors. As the mission states: “The Womxn of Worth Initiative creates and sustains a community for womxn of color and womxn who identify as members of underrepresented populations that will promote academic success, holistic student success and wellness, identity development, and sisterhood.” In response to needs articulated by Womxn of Color students, staff from across the university came together informally to realize