Research Question

ABSTRACT

The existence of fat people is genocidal. In the sociocultural settings of the United ​States, individuals at the intersection of systemically oppressed identities like ​Blackness, womanhood, and fatness are negatively portrayed within mass media. ​They may, therefore, influence key disparities in workplace treatment. There is a ​notable gap in research exploring how increased and well-rounded representations ​of fat Black women in media can enhance public perceptions, positively affecting ​their self-esteem, socioeconomic standing, and, most importantly, their treatment in ​professional settings. This research aims to examine the lived experiences of fat ​Black women through a proposed qualitative study. The study would consider the ​intersecting factors of race, gender, and size in shaping the mental health, well-​being, and identity formation of fat Black women. Specifically, the study will explore ​the effect of the media's negative representations of fat Black women and the ​discrimination this inspires in workplace settings. Using a multifaceted qualitative ​approach that includes analysis of peer-reviewed literature and semi-structured ​individual interviews (N = < 10) with Black plus-sized women, this study will explore ​participants' perspectives on the media's role in subverting social norms and its ​implications on their lived experiences and treatment within the workplace. The ​exploration of this topic will be supported by the preliminary results of a digital ​ethnography surveilling the narratives of fat Black women on social media platforms ​such as TikTok and Instagram. The primary use of digital ethnography and ​interviews will aid in deconstructing the complexities of discrimination faced by this ​intersectional group. This study aims to contribute to the limited literature, discourse, ​and educational materials about the impact of media on fat Black women. By ​investigating their lived experiences through an intersectional lens, it hopes to ​demonstrate that more equitable media representation can lead to significant social ​and economic improvements, foster positive social change, and help individuals ​living at this intersection lead more fruitful lives.

INSTITUTION:

Proposed at Florida International University,

African & African Diaspora Studies program.

KEYWORDS

Fat Black Women, Media Representation, Intersectionality Theory, Sapphmammibel, ​Sizeism, Fatphobia, Symbolic Annihilation, Workplace Discrimination

Research Question

How have the people of ​Antigua contemporarily ​resisted the oppressive ​systems established by ​British colonialism and ​slavery?

More specifically:

1. How do resistance strategies such as ​Rastafarianism and Carnival culture ​play a role in modern Antiguan ​resistance against prevailing cultural ​and socio-economic norms?
   
2. How do these contemporary resistance ​strategies reflect or diverge from ​historical forms of resistance against ​British colonialism and slavery?
   

ABSTRACT

Slavery throughout the Caribbean, but specifically in Antigua, was plagued with ​African descent people unwillingly and forcefully brought to the island to plant, ​harvest, and grind cane in fields to support a booming economy that relied on ​sugar. As one of the Caribbean islands that are not nearly as well known, ​educationally explored, or culturally celebrated, there is a notable gap in research ​exploring how Antiguan people have displayed a spirt of rebellion by resisting ​against oppressive systems, especially in a modern context. This study aims to ​address the gap by examining the four exemplified forms of resistance strategies ​utilized by Antiguans, who never lost their resistant spirits. This spirit of Antiguan ​rebellion varies in its expressions, ranging from documented conspiracies to kill ​enslavers and overtake the island to educational activism as a means of ​empowerment against the oppressive system of slavery. Yet, in time, these ​expressions of resistance have expanded their bounds to a rejection of Western ​religious norms and with outward expressions of Black joy via Carnival culture. ​Through a qualitative approach utilizing semi-structured individual interviews with ​Kayla Joy, co-owner of Humble & Free Wadadli, an eco-tourism company ​providing events and tours of Antigua’s Rastafarian sacred lands, and Dr. Collin ​Williams of Collin Devon Events, a company organizing Antiguan travel and ​Carnival experiences, the study will explore how the latest generation has ​continued to carry an inherently Antiguan torch of heritage reclamation through ​actively rewriting the stories once written by the oppressors. This approach will ​highlight the motivations behind contemporary resistance actions, identify ​common threads with historical efforts, illuminate broader impacts, and uplift ​organizational narratives into an academic discussion. By contributing to the ​limited literature on this topic, this research aims to uncover and analyze the ​multifaceted forms of resistance practiced by Antiguans, both historically and ​contemporarily, with the goal of enriching the academic understanding of ​Antiguan history, inspiring future generations, and highlighting the ongoing ​struggle against oppressive systems through religious and cultural expression.

INSTITUTION:

Conducted at Florida International University,

African & African Diaspora Studies program.

KEYWORDS

Antigua, Slavery Resistance, Carnival Culture, Black Joy, Rastafarianism, Prince Klaas, ​Fugitive Pedagogy, Caribbean Slave Rebellion, Cultural Resistance Theory, Hart ​Sisters

Research Question

How do Students of ​Color at predominantly ​white institutions ​experience academic ​advising, and in what ​ways does inadequate ​advising impact their ​academic trajectory ​and sense of ​belonging?

ABSTRACT

Throughout predominantly white institutions nationwide, the ​contemporary issues surrounding race, access, ethnicity, and ​diversity have been put under an increasingly bright spotlight ​over the past decade, calling into question the impact these ​matters have on a Student of Color regarding educational ​control. The main aim of this dissertation is to examine how ​Students of Color attending predominantly white institutions are ​not being supported in academic spaces, specifically regarding ​academic advising. Moreover, how they are redefining and ​reclaiming what scholarship means to them.

This research will be structured into five main chapters: (1) ​Introduction, referring to aim, scope, and background reasoning; ​(2) Case Study, addressing the methodology and analysis of ​interviews; (3) Literary Analysis, addressing prior scholarly works ​surrounding this issue, (4) Solutions, discussion on how to fix the ​question at hand, and (5) Conclusions, Limitations and Future ​Research, discussing the relevance and how this can and will ​mainly be used for future implementation for master’s work, ​professors and future career work as a diversity and inclusion ​expert.

INSTITUTION:

Published with SUNY Open Access Repository via Sta​te University of New York at New Paltz, The Honors Progr​am

KEYWORDS

black studies, academic advising, students of color, predominantly white institutions, ​higher education, race, diversity, inclusion, training

Research Question

How do Afro-Caribbean ​and African immigrants ​in the United States ​experience and navigate ​the complexities of ​cultural identity, place, ​and assimilation, and in ​what ways do their ​experiences differ ​despite their shared ​racial identity?

ABSTRACT

This project, presented as a black-and-white video ​documentary with accompanying research, explores the ​varied experiences of Afro-Caribbean and African students ​and professors at Penn State Altoona. Through personal ​interviews, the documentary highlights how individuals from ​these communities navigate cultural identity, assimilation, ​and the complexities of place within a predominantly white ​institution. While sharing a common racial identity, their ​stories reveal significant differences in how they relate to ​their homeland, experience dual cultural pressures, and ​adapt to life in the United States. The video captures the ​voices and experiences of a diverse group of participants, ​emphasizing the unique challenges and perspectives that ​emerge from their African and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds. ​By focusing on these narratives, the project dismantles the ​tendency to homogenize Black identity and sheds light on ​the nuanced realities of being an immigrant in America. The ​video essay format further brings these voices to life, ​creating a visual representation of how the same color, same ​place, but different experiences shape the lived realities of ​Afro-Caribbean and African communities in America.

INSTITUTION:

Published with Pennsylvania State University, Altoona ​African American Read-In — Copyright 2016​

KEYWORDS

Afro-Caribbean identity, African immigrant experience, cultural assimilation, Black ​identity, immigration, diaspora studies, racial diversity, African diaspora

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