ABSTRACT
This chapter explored the experiences of four Black women doctoral students and professionals bound by friendship and struggle while traversing through the academy as outsiders-within. Like the characters in McMillan’s novel-turned movie, Waiting to Exhale, they were at different stages in this journey from coursework to completion. Drawing on Green et al.’s tenets of Black Feminist Realism (BFR), authors explored our experiences of eurocentrism in research, self-identity, and erasure. The convergence of experience and necessity bonded the women—from conference refuge, peer mentorship, and creating celebrations of Black achievement during COVID-19. This chapter is a proverbial respirator for Black women seeking free breath in the academy.
