A strengths-based qualitative exploration of academic motivation strategies among lower-income Black college women attending PWIs

The present study explored motivating factors and sources of interpersonal and institutional support related to the academic persistence and success of self-identified lower-income Black women attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Data were drawn from interviews with a sample of 12 Black undergraduate women. Our analyses suggest that participants: (1) drew on positive academic experiences within and outside the classroom; (2) focused on short-term goals and long-term ambitions of upward social mobility and career success; and (3) considered academic persistence a form of resistance against deficit-based narratives of Black womanhood. Authors discuss implications for higher education policies and practices related to Black women’s academic success.