I worked as an adjunct professor at a Southeast Texas community college for 18 years. During the initial decade, I held a master’s degree. However, recognizing the need for further academic advancement, I pursued and obtained my doctorate. Despite consistently receiving positive faculty evaluations and what seemed like countless interviews, I could not secure a job as a full-time professor. That position remained out of reach, leaving me perplexed and searching for answers.
My dissertation centered on educational policies, aiming to pave a path toward advocacy for community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. During this research, I stumbled upon an article authored by a Black female scholar detailing her experiences within a predominantly white institution. Reading about her encounters with micro- and macro-aggressions deeply resonated with me, mirroring my own experiences. This profound connection changed the trajectory of my scholarship. I began to research the lived experiences of Black women scholars at community colleges, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, are primarily white institutions.
Community colleges have earned the label of “the people’s college” due to their diversity among student bodies. The number of nonwhite students enrolled in community college exceeds the number of whites. Yet the faculty employed at community colleges remains predominantly White, with those identifying as white accounting for 77 of full-time faculty and 74 percent of part-time faculty, according to a recent study.
