Introduction of Background Othermothering Many African American Women
Who Work in Higher Education
Many African American women who work in higher education, in non-faculty roles,
incorporate a historical and cultural tradition commonly referred to as “othermothering” when
working with African American students. The practice of othermothering is a cultural tradition in
the African American community, utilized during slavery and continues presently in
neighborhoods, faith communities, community organizations, and educational institutions. There
are several definitions of othermothering, but this study is informed by the works of Stanlie M.
James and Patricia Collins. James defines “othermothers” as African American women who
assist mothers in the community with responsibilities that pertain to child care for short- to long-
term periods, in informal or formal arrangements (James, 1993). The definition by Collins
expands upon the role of othermothering in communities that is applicable to this study on
othermothering in higher education. She defines it as the practice of women who assist other
women to care for non-blood children that mimics the family structure through care, education,
community service, and moral training (Collins, 2000).
Research on othermothering provides an opportunity to gain insight into the complex
nature of the personal and professional lives of African American women. With a focus on the
lived experiences of African American women, the research must consider the importance of
both gender and race (Collins, 2000). Othermothering, while a historical feature of the African
American community during the period of slavery, over time was also practiced in spaces that
African American women dominated such as race-specific social organizations and segregated
classrooms. The concept of othermothering has been used in other research to bring attention to
the nurturing and caring ways African American women support children not their own. In a
,classroom context, the nurture and care given to young students by teachers incorporating
othermothering into their practice has created an environment characterized by the “tradition of
matrilineal caregiving associated within African American communities” (Hirt, et all., 2008, p.
217).
Othermothering is considered a long-held tradition practiced by African American
women working with African American students at both Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs), and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) (Guiffrida, 2005). HBCUs
are the 101 colleges and universities that received this distinction as part of the Higher Education
Act of 1965. The United States Department of Education defines an HBCU as
Any historically black college or university that was established prior
to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black
Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting
agency or association determined by the Secretary [of Education] to
be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according
to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward
accreditation. (U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 1991).
Predominantly White Institutions, for the purpose of this research, are colleges and
universities where the student enrollment is more than 50% White (Brown & Dancy, 2010).
However, PWI is not an official designation assigned to colleges and universities by the United
States Department of Education (Bourke, 2016). In some research, these institutions are referred
to as historically White institutions to acknowledge their exclusionary practices in the United
States prior to 1964. Even though these labels describe the enrollment pattern of these
institutions, what is also inferred by the label of “historically” or “traditionally” White is the
,power relationship between “dominance and subjugation” (Bourke, 2016, p. 16). It is important
for the researcher to acknowledge and be mindful of the power position that is part of the history
and tradition of PWIs while conducting research on othermothering as it is being currently
practiced at PWIs.
For example, the literature on othermothering describes the practice as being a part of a
Black or African American tradition. While the researcher is comfortable with using Black or
African American interchangeably, the researcher acknowledges that both words carry different
meanings, based in history and culture. The word Black came into use in the late 1950s and early
1960s as the civil rights movement began to evolve and contributed to how Black people viewed
themselves in the context of their presence in the United States and to move away from the
previous identifier, Negro. For the user, Black conveyed a sense of racial pride, rejection of the
past and being progressive (Smith, 1992). The use of Black created a cultural divide within the
community because of its use by organizations such as the Black Panthers and Black Muslims
that were considered more radical than other Black-led organizations.
The identifier African American came into use after Ramona H. Edelin, president of the
National Urban Coalition, suggested the use of African American to replace Black during the
organization’s annual meeting in 1988 in Chicago. The reason for the shift from “Black” to
“African American” was to “help create as much as express a sense of ethnic identity among
black Americans” (Martin, 1991, p.83). The use of African American sought to present an
expanded view of Blacks by placing it within a global perspective (Smith, 1992). The use of
African American does have its detractors because the term is considered too broad to provide an
authentic cultural identity. African American conveys a cultural connection to Africa that for
most people does not exist after generations have resided in America.
, For this study on othermothering the researcher used African American because of its
diasporic reference. The practices of village ideology and othermothering are historically placed
and culturally referenced in western Africa. The practice of othermothering came to America and
grew out of the conditions that enslavement created for people from western Africa. Similar to
other west African practices brought to America, othermothering adapted to address the needs of
the enslaved. The use of African American is a way to connect the focus of this research,
othermothering, with its African origin.
Problem Statement
Despite the potential effect of othermothering on the personal development and academic
success of African American students enrolled at PWIs, there is a relative lack of research on the
practice of othermothering by African American women and the effect of the practice on the
professional and personal lives of African American women. This study, with a focus on African
American women employed at PWIs, looked to bring attention to the historical tradition of
othermothering and how it informs and influences current higher education practices.
Guiffrida (2005) in his research used othermothering to describe the type of relationship
African American students who attended PWIs sought out from faculty that were culturally and
ethnically similar to them. Mawhinney’s (2011) autoethnography on othermothering and guilt
supports the finding in Guiffrida’s research on African American students who attend college at
a PWI intentionally, seeking out Black faculty for othermothering-type relationships. Guiffrida’s
research focused exclusively on the faculty and student relationship, while this proposed study
seeks to better understand othermothering as practiced by African American women at PWIs in
non-faculty roles.
