The Circle of Becoming: Self-Discovery •Becoming • Purpose

Conversations about Black women and education are often framed through statistics, expectations, and outcomes — but rarely through lived experience. For generations, education has been both a pathway to opportunity and a source of pressure, shaping how Black women are seen, valued, and judged. This reflection explores how education has influenced identity, resilience, and self-definition for Black women — and why rewriting the narrative requires more than credentials; it requires truth.

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Ladies, let’s get real. Black women’s progress in education is undeniable — and the data backs it up. As I started digging into the numbers, what stood out wasn’t just how far we’ve come, but how the story around that progress has been framed. And once you look closely, some of the narratives being pushed don’t quite add up.

One thing that hit me hard was the way educational data is often presented as a competition between Black women and Black men. Like… why? Who benefits from that comparison? Because the truth is, Black men are not our rivals — not in education and not in life. Our journeys, our challenges, and our achievements deserve to stand on their own, without being measured against one another.

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Black Women & Education: We’ve Been About This Life

Picture this: There was a time when just knowing how to read could get a Black woman punished. But guess what? That didn’t stop us. Our ancestors risked everything to learn.

• Phillis Wheatley became the first Black woman to publish a book—even while enslaved.
• Sojourner Truth and Harriet Jacobs used their words to fight for justice.
• Mary McLeod Bethune started a school with just $1.50 and unshakable faith—and it later became a whole university!

Black women have ALWAYS understood that education isn’t just about books—it’s about freedom, power, and breaking generational curses.

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Kicking Down Doors in Higher Ed

Once schools finally let us in (and let’s be real, they had no choice because we were coming in regardless), we didn’t just attend—we EXCELLED.

• Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander? First Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in the U.S.
• Shirley Ann Jackson? First Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics from MIT.
• HBCUs like Spelman, Howard, and Fisk? They became safe spaces where Black women could learn, thrive, and dominate.

And now? Black women aren’t just students—we’re professors, deans, and academic trailblazers. Period.

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The Numbers Tell a Story

Here’s the real deal: The way our progress is reported (or NOT reported) says a lot about who controls the story.

👉 According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Black women have seen the most significant increase in master’s and doctoral degree attainment over the past decade. White women still earn the highest percentage of degrees overall.
👉 Yet, much of the reporting makes it seem like we’re in competition with Black men.
👉 The truth? Black men are on their own journey, just as we are.

📈 Degrees Conferred to Black Students by Sex (2021-22)

Black women are excelling in graduate education, but that doesn’t mean Black men are falling behind—they’re fighting their own systemic battles. We are not in competition.

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The Narrative Needs to Change

Let’s be real. It’s not just about hanging that diploma on the wall. It’s about who controls the conversation about our success.

• Kamala Harris made history as the first Black woman VP.
• Stacey Abrams used her education to fight voter suppression.
• Michelle Obama? She turned her law degree and influence into a whole movement.

From boardrooms to courtrooms, classrooms to Congress, Black women aren’t just educated—we’re POWERFUL.

Comparing Degree Attainment Among Women by Race (2021-22)

Degrees Conferred to Hispanic Students by Sex (2021-22)

Hispanic women also outpace Hispanic men in higher education, showing a trend similar to Black and White students.

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The Future is Black & Brilliant

But let’s not get comfortable, sis. We still have work to do. We need to:

👉 Encourage young Black girls to dream bigger and go for those degrees.
👉 Support HBCUs and scholarships to keep education accessible.
👉 Take control of our own narrative—because if we don’t, someone else will.

Our grandmothers Fought for this. Our mothers Prayed for this. And WE? We’re Living it.

So to every Black woman grinding for that degree, late-night studying, balancing work, family, and ambition—keep going, sis. You are part of a legacy.