We Are STEM: Examining the Significance and Influence of Counterspaces in the Development of Black Girls’ STEM Identity

Existing literature has focused on a variety of factors leading to the underrepresentation of Black girls in STEM such as a lack of engagement and encouragement during formative school years, racial and gender biases, as well as student and teacher perceptions of academic abilities. However, there remains a gap when examining the impact of counterspaces on Black girls’ STEM identity development and its influence on their desires to pursue STEM degrees and STEM careers leading to increased representation in STEM fields. As STEM identity remains a powerful indicator of Black girls’ success in persisting in STEM fields, understanding the role of counterspaces in influencing Black girls’ STEM identity development is of critical significance. This conceptual article utilizes the frameworks of Critical Race Feminism (CRF) and Sociotransformative Constructivism as a lens to examine how counterspaces can serve as sites where Black girls challenge deficit notions about themselves as STEM learners that will contribute to building their self-perceptions and aid in the development of their STEM identity. Utilizing a literature review, this conceptual article will examine theoretical and empirical research that will guide me in the examination of the influence of counterspaces in the development of Black girls’ STEM identity. This article concludes with the implications of the need for counterspaces within PK-12 settings that can serve as sites where Black girls’ STEM identities can be cultivated and nurtured.