Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Instruction & Curriculum Leadership

Committee Chair

Beverly Cross

Committee Member

Crystal Cook

Committee Member

Edith Gnanadass

Abstract

This study explores othermothering as a cultural and political practice among African American girls in Memphis, Tennessee. While most scholarship on othermothering centers the voices of adult women, this research foregrounds the perspectives of African American girls, illuminating how they interpret and experience the influence of othermothers on their identity formation. Guided by Black Feminist Thought, Africana Womanism, and arts-based inquiry, the study situates othermothering as a theoretical framework that is both intimate and political by nurturing personal growth while resisting deficit narratives that marginalize Black girlhood. Data were collected through a creative workshop, Walk Like a Queen Crown Workshop, which incorporated symbolic crown-making, poetry, letter writing, semi-structured interviews, and researcher journaling. Thematic analysis revealed two sets of interrelated themes. First, the girls described othermothering through four central dimensions: emotional presence, affirmation, reliability, and intergenerational support. Second, they explained how these practices shaped their identity, naming four outcomes: confidence, emotional resilience, bravery, and a future-focused orientation. Together, these findings illustrate that othermothering is not only enacted through care but is also internalized as identity work. In Chapter 5, the findings were further animated through imagined dialogues between the girls and scholars, creating intergenerational conversations that highlighted the continuity of care, affirmation, and resistance across time. This interpretive approach underscores that African American girls are not passive recipients of care but active meaning-makers who extend and reinterpret othermothering within their own cultural contexts. By centering their creative voices, this study advances an expanded framework of community-supported mothering and demonstrates the value of arts-based and dialogic inquiry.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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