By Joyce Woodard
Reflecting on reading culture on campus, I would identify the following as the five major barriers facing Black women readers: A lack of representation, not enough spaces, obligation, inadequate support, and excessive responsibilities.
Representation: The lack of representation within reading material at PWIs serves as one of the many barriers Black women readers face. Feeling represented in the material you are reading is important, and at PWIs, if you aren’t in a class specifically related to African American literature, chances are you won’t see that representation.
Space: In addition to a lack of representation, there are few spaces specifically tailored to Black women readers to share their perspectives on reading, which makes the ones that are available so important. ‘Sistuhs Be Reading’ is a group organized by Dr. Cindy Reed at SIUE that provides a space for Black women readers, but apart from that, there isn’t another space like that.
Obligation: The spaces dedicated to African American literature are typically classes, which then makes reading feel like an obligation. Aside from feeling obligated to read material for their grade, students may not find the material interesting. The reading for those classes can sometimes be heavily related to slavery or Black struggles in general, and that’s not always something Black women readers want to read for fun.
Support: Without more support from the university, Black women readers will remain less inclined to read outside of class. Without support or funding from the university, it is hard to create communities catered to Black women readers, which is why there aren’t many.
Responsibilities: While those barriers play a major role in the way Black women read on campus, another barrier is simply their schedule. Finding time for reading outside of class, work, and other obligations can be difficult, making reading less of a priority.
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