ABSTRACT
Black women were historically relegated to a low position in the United States, precipitated by enslavement. Despite the horrors of enslavement, Black women “inherited self-sufficiency” (Noble, 1957, p. 18), a characteristic that would be vital for their preservation. This same self-sufficiency would become the driver for their educational aspirations. Over 200 years have passed since women were allowed to pursue higher education. Prior to the early 1800s, the possibility of receiving a college education was nonexistent for them. According to Sanford-Harris (1990), it was a widely held belief that women should not be educated in the same way as men. The education of Black women, in particular, was not a priority, nor were investments in their education. When Oberlin College opened its doors in 1833, women were accepted as students into the coeducational institution (Evans, 2008). More importantly, the opening of Oberlin ushered in the first significant presence of Black women in the academy. Yet there was very little concern about providing Black women with educational opportunities beyond courses promoting morality and domesticity (Evans, 2008; Perkins, 2015).
