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Intersectionality, Black Girlhood and Inequity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

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Intersectionality, Black Girlhood and Inequity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Black Girls Clapback: Intersectionality, Black girlhood and inequity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Kisha N. McPherson A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN EDUCATION YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO September 2019 © Kisha N. McPherson, 2019 Abstract The diverse lives of Black girls within North America are deeply rooted in various histories of marginalization. They continue to face forms of oppression as a result of their intersectional identities, which produces consequences for their lived experiences. Literature focused on the lives of Black girls in the United States highlights and demonstrates the consistent resilience of Black girls as they struggle to resist the impacts of racism, sexism, and other barriers in their lives. Less available in scholarship, however, is data outlining and describing the circumstances that impact the social and educational realities of Black girls within a Canadian context. This qualitative study focuses on the school and social experiences of fourteen Black teenage girls living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Through the analysis of narratives collected from focus groups and interviews, the study draws connections between media’s controlling images and the situations the study participants encounter at school. Using theories that centre Black girlhood, intersectionality, and Black feminist pedagogy, this research examines the thoughts and opinions of the participants as they illustrate the impact of academic streaming, teacher apathy, differing academic expectations on Black girls, teacher microaggressions, and media stereotypes, on their experiences in school. In addition, using analyses of representation, this study assists in explaining how normalized readings of historical and contemporary representations of Black female identity construct meaning for Black girls. The goal of this study is to highlight the voices of Black girls as they speak on their own experiences and to illuminate the need for practices such as safer spaces and pedagogical approaches focused on purposeful inclusion to support the development and well-being of Black girls in the GTA. Keywords: Black girls; education; media representations; Great Toronto Area (GTA); safer spaces ii Dedication For my before, and my after, my mother Mavis and my daughter Zavia. iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Jennifer Jenson for her support and supervision throughout the course of my doctoral studies. I am forever indebted to her for her guidance, unlimited assistance, and the attention she provided over this five-year process. I am also thankful for the freedom that she allowed me to pursue my own research interests and goals. It is her direction and support that enabled me to complete this study. I am also extremely grateful to my advisory committee members, Dr. S, Nombuso Dlamini, and Dr. Natalie Coulter. Thanks to Dr. Dlamini for her detailed feedback on my proposal and dissertation, as well as her mentorship, which allowed me to refine my understanding of my analysis in relation to my own identity as a Black woman, grounded in the work of my own study. Thanks to Dr. Coulter for her steady and consistent feedback and support throughout the process. Dr. Coulter helped to frame and advance my understanding of girls’ studies, which is most central to my study. I would like to acknowledge and thank my examination committee members, Dr. Njoki Wane, Dr. Aparna Mishra Tarc, and Dr. Vidya Shah. Thanks to Dr. Wane not only her contribution to Black feminist studies in Canada but also for her critical insights and perspective on my work and its usefulness in the field. Thanks to Dr. Mishra Tarc for her support, assistance, meaningful feedback and analysis throughout the oral examination. Thank you to Dr. Shah for her challenging and thoughtful questions, which at this point is helping me to consider how best to move forward in this area of study. I would like to thank The Power to Be International (PTBI) and its team for allowing me to build on the organization’s hard work and dedication in the community in order to formalize meaningful community-based research. I would also like to thank the Institute of Research in Digital Learning (IRDL) and its team for providing space and resources for my research. I must also thank my professors and the staff at York University, as well as my colleagues and management at Centennial College. I greatly appreciate the support, encouragement, resources, and flexibility you have provided me through my studies. I would like to thank my daughter, my favorite human and one of the main reasons for my engaging in this topic. I thank my family: my parents and my sister for supporting me throughout my studies and in my life in general. My sincere thanks also go to my friends. I genuinely could not have stayed the course without my dearest and closest friends. Thank you so very much for believing in me and helping me stay on track. Finally, and most importantly, I would like to thank my participants, the Black girls who trusted me with their stories; this work is both for, and because of you. I started this process reflecting on some of the harsh realities my own experience growing up as a Black girl in Toronto and I am ending it with the knowledge and assurance of your strength and perseverance. As we continue to work towards equity in education for Black girls, I am so very proud to share community with you. You are, and will always be, enough. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication.................................................................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................iv Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................................... v List of Tables............................................................................................................................................................. vii Chapter One: Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................................................... 13 Rationale and Aims .............................................................................................................................................. 14 Chapter Two: Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................................... 17 Race and Identity ................................................................................................................................................. 19 Gender, Class, and Intersectionality ..................................................................................................................... 21 Race, Media, and Representation ......................................................................................................................... 23 Black Feminisms .................................................................................................................................................. 28 Black Feminist Pedagogy and Safer Spaces......................................................................................................... 30 Chapter Three: Literature Review ............................................................................................................................ 34 Girls’ Studies and Black Girls.............................................................................................................................. 35 Popular Culture and Media Representations of Black Women and Girls ............................................................ 42 Black Girls and School ........................................................................................................................................ 48 Education for Critical Consciousness—Youth Participation ............................................................................... 56 Resistance and Empowerment Programs ............................................................................................................. 58 #BlackGirlMagic .................................................................................................................................................. 61 Chapter Four: Research Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 64 Position of the Researcher .................................................................................................................................... 66 Research Approach .............................................................................................................................................. 67 Participant Recruitment Process .........................................................................................................................
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