Babygirl, You've Got This!

How do Black girls and women experience education in England? This book explores the educational experiences and journeys of Black British women graduates and considers the influence of the intersections of race, gender, ethnicity, cultural background and social class on their journeys.

Within educational research about Black students, gender distinctions have been largely absent, male-dominated or American-centric. Due to the lack of attention paid to Black female students, relatively little is known about how they understand and engage with the education system, or the influences which shape their long-term strategies and decision making in order to gain educational 'success'.
Dr April-Louise Pennant, PhD uniquely documents the entire educational journey - from primary school to undergraduate university level - within both elite, and predominantly white educational institutions, as well as predominantly global majority and state funded schools, post-16 colleges, sixth forms and universities, in order to examine the various accessibility, financial, social and academic hurdles which Black girls and women face. The book, which transforms April-Louise's masters and doctorate research findings, combines theoretical frameworks such as Critical Race Theory, Bourdieu's Theory of Practice and Black Feminist epistemology, to frame personal accounts of the author and a diverse range of 42 Black British women who are embodied by 7 fictional composite characters. Through analysis of the strategies, choices and decisions made by Black British women throughout their educational journeys, this volume ultimately provides insights into how to navigate the education system effectively and provides alternatives to normalised understandings of educational 'success'.