Experiences of Sexism and Racism Among Black Women Who Hold a Doctorate.

This heuristic inquiry examines the experiences of racism, sexism, and ageism among 12 Black women holding doctorates at one predominantly White institution (PWI) and one historically Black college/university (HBCU) in the Southeastern United States. Using individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed through Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Womanism frameworks, the study highlights how these intersecting oppressions affect their professional and personal lives, including challenges related to the recognition and use of the honorific "Dr." Findings reveal pervasive discrimination from students, colleagues, and supervisors, with compounded effects on mental and physical health, and underscore the complexity of disentangling race, gender, and age as sources of bias. The study calls for institutional interventions such as mentorship programs and bias training to foster more equitable environments and encourages Black women scholars to support one another while advocating for systemic change.