A Call to Action: Exploring Intersectional Analyses of Black Fathers and Daughters in STEM Learning

ABSTRACT

Black fathers and daughters are the least explored relationship within parent-child and STEM research. This article serves as an examination of the literature around their relationships and STEM learning and as a call to action. Intersectionality, as an analytic lens, examines Black fathers’ familial and STEM relationships over time and Black women’s and girls’ (BWG’s) interest and competence in STEM, as well as how systemic factors of gendered racism, classism, and oppression impacted BWG’s aspirations in STEM, computing, and mathematics fields. Data yielded 29 publications addressing Black fathers and daughters in STEM, their relationships, and BWG’s interest and competence in STEM, computing, and mathematics learning. Findings reveal that Black fathers’ roles in their daughter’s STEM lives helps develop positive representations of themselves and their cultural backgrounds. This acknowledgement produces a new level of understanding of Black fathers and girls’ engagement in informal and formal STEM learning environments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. While research on STEM, computing, and mathematics are core fields of representation among Black fathers and daughters in this article, we use them interchangeably and specifically state how each term is used within its context.

2. This collaboration, via the SEC Faculty Travel Grant (awarded to Lewis Ellison and Thomas) and the Sarah Moss Award (awarded to Lewis Ellison), afforded us the opportunity to visit Joseph’s university to participate in consortium meetings about the origin and analysis of this work.

3. U.S. welfare policies implemented the “Man-in-the-House Rule” to discriminate against Black families. This rule was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1968.

4. Graduate research assistants/interns, Tairan Qiu, Rose Agyekum, and Bemsi Wallang, assisted with the data collection phases as part of Lewis Ellison’s Dig-A-Dyads studies.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Georgia, Office of Research, Internal Grants & Awards, Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical & Health Sciences, Junior Faculty Seed Grant in STEM Program.

Notes on contributors

Tisha Lewis Ellison

Tisha Lewis Ellison is an associate professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at The University of Georgia. Her research explores the intersections of family literacy, multimodality, and digital and STEAM literacy practices among Black/Latinx families and youth.

Nicole Joseph

Nicole M. Joseph is an associate professor of Mathematics Education at Vanderbilt University. She directs the Joseph Mathematics Education Research Lab (JMEL), an intergenerational lab that focuses on training its members on intersectional epistemological orientations. Her research explores two lines of inquiry, (a) Black women and girls, their identity development, and their experiences in mathematics and (b) Whiteness, White Supremacy and how it operates and shapes underrepresentation of Black women and girls in mathematics.

Jakita O. Thomas

Jakita O. Thomas is a Philpott Westpoint Stevens associate professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. Dr. Thomas is also Director of the CUltuRally & SOcially Relevent (CURSOR) Computing Lab. Her research interests include exploring the development of computational algorithmic thinking; Intersectional Computing that promotes access to healthcare information and services for under-served populations; improving reasoning using expert cases, scientific reasoning, and complex cognitive skills learning; and computer-supported collaborative learning.