Building bridges: Using life lessons to inform our work with students

What is it about?

In this chapter, research on the roles of mentoring and cultural nourishment within the institutional environment is used to contextualize the personal narratives of two Black women educators. The narratives come from the authors—who were formally educated in predominantly White institutions and informally educated in a variety of African-centered community and family settings—and are used to highlight lessons gleaned from the authors’ experiences as women of color within predominantly White educational settings, both as students and employees. Examples are provided to reveal how those lessons now guide their current work interacting with and advocating for students of color in similar institutional settings. Full citation: Shaw, M. D., & Sanni, M. A. (2015). Building bridges: Using life lessons to inform our work with students. In M. Zhou (Ed.), Supporting Multiculturalism and Gender Diversity in University Settings (pp. 167-194). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

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Why is it important?

This chapter is as much about the process of building bridges as it is the process of becoming a bridge builder. Building a bridge is a task accomplished by using the knowledge and experience one holds to make the path traversed smoother for those who may follow. The authors offer practical tips about the process of building bridges to help students of color navigate their campuses and traverse the often confusing and difficult terrain of higher education.