Mapping the Boundaries of Racetalk: Examining the Experiences of Black Girls in Independent Schools

Background/Context: An increasing body of literature reveals how systems of racism, sexism, and classism intersect to marginalize Black girls in contexts of schooling. Few studies have explored this topic from the perspectives of Black girls in all-girls independent schools pursuing antiracist school reform. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This study examined the experiences of Black girls in all-girls independent schools to understand how they perceived themselves as mapped into or left out of conversations about race in school and society. Research Design: The study employed a qualitative research design. A total of 42 middle and high school students participated in a semi-structured focus group interview lasting 60–120 minutes. Interviews were conducted in person and online. Audio-recordings were transcribed for analysis. Data analysis involved a multilayered approach. First, transcriptions of the focus group interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis techniques to identify recurring themes and patterns. A Black Girl Cartography framework was employed to distinguish the spatial and relational aspects of the participants’ experiences and identities. Finally, critical discourse analysis was applied to examine the interplay between power, identity, culture, and spatiality within the participants’ narratives. Findings/Results: Data revealed that Black girls were navigating conversations about race across one-on-one, peer group, advisory meeting, classroom-based, and schoolwide interactions, where they perceived themselves to be physically and epistemologically marginalized and/or excluded. We identified dimensions of racetalk that aided in their experience of marginalization and exclusion: (1) placelessness, (2) selflessness, and (3) Blackgirlhoodlessness. Data also revealed that while participants were navigating ideologies, practices, and procedures that threatened their opportunities for development, they were also charting spaces for their individual and collective joy, healing, and racial socialization. Conclusions/Recommendations: Implications from these data explore the ways in which all-girls independent schools overlook Black girls’ unique geopolitical locations in schools and society and, in so doing, miss opportunities to nurture their development. This study contributes to a rich understanding of the complex interplay between power, identity, culture, and spatiality that Black girls navigate in schooling and society. We advocate for an application of principles and best practices aligned with culturally relevant and culturally sustaining pedagogies that center the experiences of Black girls. We recommend that schools (1) employ situated and intersectional approaches to antiracist educational reform, (2) center Black girl mattering in schooling, and (3) nurture Black girl self-love, joy, and racial literacy.