Publications
Babygirl, You've Got This! Experiences of Black Girls & Women in the English Education System
2024
How do Black girls and women experience education in England? This book explores the educational experiences & journeys of Black British women graduates & considers the influence of the intersections of race, gender, ethnicity, cultural background and social class on their journeys. Read more here.
Rebuking the 'Work Twice as Hard for Half as Much' Mentality among Black Girls and Women
March 2023
Based on my PhD research (Pennant 2020) on the educational journeys and experiences of Black British women graduates, Ṣadé and Zuri are the fictional, composite mother and daughter characters who explore the inter- generational impact and social aspects of this mentality.
Migration Narratives: Diverging Stories in Schools, Churches, and Civic Institutions.
May 2022
A book review about 'Migration Narratives: Diverging Stories in Schools, Churches, and Civic Institutions' by Stanton Wortham, Briana Nichols, Katherine Clonan-Roy & Catherine Rhodes.
Who’s checkin’ for Black girls & women in the “pandemic within a pandemic”? COVID-19, Black Lives Matter & educational implications.
March 2022
While the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt widely, for Black communities – particularly in the US and Britain – it was felt more severely. This was compounded by another deadly pandemic that was devastating Black communities and evidenced by the re-emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd.
Running Against the Wind: Report on Black Lives Matter & staff experiences of race, gender & intersectionality in the Welsh Government.
March 2021
In response to the issues brought to light by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in summer 2020, the Minority Ethnic Staff Network (MESN) & Women Together Network (WTN) identified a need to understand staff experiences of race & gender in the Welsh Government.
My journey into the ‘heart of whiteness’ whilst remaining my authentic (Black) self
March 2021
The dire implications of navigating the overwhelming whiteness of the education system for Black women is foregrounded by the author’s autoethnography about her educational journey & experiences. Within it, the author illustrates the key role of her Black identity - despite being immersed in whiteness– to provide a strong sense of self, pride & resilience, which ultimately leads to her survival in the unequal spaces of the education system.
Intersectional Identities within Black British Women’s Educational Experiences & Journeys, Role of
December 2020
Although class, race, & gender are social constructs, they are important identities that significantly influence the lived experiences of individuals & groups as evident within the education system. Yet, as whole beings, it is inevitable that students will have intersecting identities, for example, being white, male, & working-class or Black, female, & middle-class simultaneously.
"Look, I have gone through the education system & I have tried damn hard to get to where I am, so no one is gonna stop me!”: The educational journeys & experiences of Black British women graduates.
September 2019
This research critically explores the educational experiences & journeys of 25 diverse Black British women graduates. Grounded in Black Feminist Epistemology & building upon Mirza’s (1992) groundbreaking study, the graduates share their experiential knowledge of journeying through the English education system — from primary school until university.
Black history is still largely ignored, 70 years after Empire Windrush reached Britain.
June 2018
The arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury docks on June 22, 1948, marked a watershed moment in the recent history of immigration to Britain. The day before the ship arrived from the Caribbean, the Evening Standard sent an airplane to photograph the vessel as it approached Britain. The photo appeared on the front page under the headline: “Welcome to Britain! Evening Standard plane greets 400 sons of Empire.” But the reception of the new arrivals was far from unequivocally positive.