Dear Higher Education: Letters from the Social Justice Mountain

Black Woman Isolation in the Academy Remaining Despite Being Lonely

Keisha Clark

Kansas State University

Keywords: Black, Women, Isolation

Abstract

This paper offers a critical examination of being the “lonely and only” within academic institutions. This term refers to those who occupy the position of being the sole among a few, and to any representatives of their marginalized racial, gendered, or social identities within the academic setting. Despite the profound challenges of isolation and systemic barriers, a sense of responsibility and resolve to persist in the academy emerges. There is solace in peace in serving as a place of safety and hope for others. There is a peace in recognizing that as long as they continue to remain in the academy, there are others who may not experience being the “lonely and only” because their presence is there. This continued participation disrupts prevailing narratives of exclusion and enhances the academy by aiding the cultivation of a more inclusive environment.