Date

10-14-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Stephanie L. Cheek

Keywords

Black women, racial microaggressions, workplace discrimination, intersectionality, Superwoman Schema, PVEST, Gendered racial microaggressions, African American women, Coping strategies, racial coping, Cognitive representations, Intragroup harm, intraracial microaggressions, Racial trauma, Transcendental phenomenology, Institutional betrayal, Strong Black Woman Schema, Lived experience, Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory, Ecological Systems Theory, Angry Black Woman, DEI, military workplace, military women, diversity, equity, inclusion

Disciplines

Counseling | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of professional Black women as they relate to microaggressions experienced in professional spaces. Professional, for this study, refers to Black women in professional positions that require a degree, advanced degree, professional licensure, and those with current/past military service in the enlisted rank of E-7 and above or commissioned officers in the rank of O3 and above. The theory that guided this study was the phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST), which emphasizes how people develop, considering the unique intersectionality of multiple social identities (Spencer et al., 1997). PVEST speaks directly to the distinct forms of racial disparity experienced by Black women, given that the intersection of race and gender identities contributes to their marginalization as a unique demographic (Spencer et al., 1997). Data were collected from 15 participants via semi-structured interviews and cognitive representations and analyzed using Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenological methodology. Analysis yielded five PVEST-aligned primary themes: Experiencing the Workplace as an Outsider, Mechanisms of Microaggressive Harm, Coping to Preserve the Self, Self-Reconstruction Under Pressure, and Charting a Path Forward. Along with 24 subthemes, these findings increase the depth of understanding of how encounters with microaggressive harm impact the physiological outcomes, professional performance, and persistence of professional Black women.

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