An Examination of Black Women as Students in College Films: Where My Girls At?

Primarily functioning as entertainment, movies do more than just allow viewers to take breaks from their lives. Films communicate messages about world events, cultural structures, and social roles and expectations (Adams-Bass, Stevenson, and Kotzin, 2014; Bourke, 2013; Howard-Hamilton and Hinton, 2004; Lenahan, 2009; Lee, 2015; Seyforth and Golde, 2001; Tucciarone, 2007). In relation to higher education, films also provide illustrations of college life, including who enrolls, what happens on campus, and students’ experiences; few, however, accurately represent issues concerning Black women as college students (Bourke, 2013; Howard-Hamilton and Hinton, 2004; Seyforth and Golde, 2001; Tucciarone, 2007; Yakaboski and Donahoo, 2015).