Abstract
Collegiate Black female student-athletes at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) face a unique experience as they navigate the complex intersections of race, gender, and sports while striving for academic and athletic success. Their encounters with racism, discrimination, and marginalization remain largely underexplored. This research provides findings from a transcendental phenomenological study that examined the lived experiences of these athletes. The goal was to understand how racism, discrimination, and marginalization impact these student-athletes both individually and in context sport. Grounded in social constructivism and informed by Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality Theory, the study involved semi-structured interviews with eight current and former collegiate Black female student-athletes. Participants shared how the intersections of race, gender, and athletics influenced their academic and athletic experiences, social identities, and the impact on their sense of community, as well as the emotional and mental challenges they faced while showing resilience and accessing support systems. Data analysis utilized Moustakas's (1994) seven-step adaptation of Van Kaam's method, along with a four-step phenomenological reduction, to extract core themes and sub-themes reflecting the experiences of Black female student-athletes in societal, academic, and athletic spheres. The study highlights their experiences with racial and gendered microaggressions and stereotypes, the emotional toll of feeling isolated and "othered," and their resilience alongside the significance of a robust support network. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for social justice and advocacy, advocating for culturally responsive practices and interventions among counselor educators, mental health professionals, and athletic department staff supporting Black female student-athletes.
Advisor
Ann Miller
Committee Member
Jacqueline Lewis
Committee Member
Kerry Diekmann
Committee Member
Tracy Peed
Date of Degree
2025
Language
english
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Program of Study
Counselor Education and Supervision
Department
Counseling and Student Personnel
College
Education
Recommended Citation
Jackson, D. L. (2025). Exploring the lived experiences of collegiate Black female student-athletes from a phenomenological perspective [Doctoral dissertation, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/1531/
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Higher Education Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Sports Studies Commons, Student Counseling and Personnel Services Commons
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