Chapters in this book

1. Front Matter i
2. Contents iii
3. Acronyms and glossary of terms vii
4. Notes on contributors ix
5. Acknowledgements xiii
6. Foreword xv
7. Introduction: Black PhD journeys in context 1
8. The ‘weighted’ waiting game: being Black and applying to do a PhD
9. Underrepresented and undervalued: my reflections on school, university and the doctoral application process 19
10. Climbing the rough side of the mountain: getting into a PhD programme 23
11. What I wish I knew: deciding on when to pursue the PhD 26
12. The long and winding road: tackling barriers and prejudice on the journey to PhD study 31
13. Ignorance is not bliss: what every potential Black PhD science student needs to know 35
14. Being one of the few among the many: my journey to the PhD starting point 40
15. Making the garments fit: transitions to a better place 44
16. Reflections on Part I and prompts for action 48
17. Being Black is not an optional luxury! Struggles for rights and recognition in the White academic space
18. Studying while Black: reflections on researching Blackness in White space 53
19. Through, around or over the gate? Navigating academia from a Black Muslim woman’s perspective 57
20. Fighting the power: challenging institutional discrimination – a personal perspective 63
21. The missing ones 69
22. Reflections on Part II and prompts for action 70
23. For us, by us: finding one another amid the storm
24. That ain’t it, so we’ll create it: supporting Black students when and where our institutions fail 75
25. Finding the Black immunologists in a pandemic 80
26. In the meantime: creating change through community 85
27. Networks, networking and finding my place in the academic space 90
28. #BlackInTheIvory: social media as a tool for racial healing 93
29. Unravelling the tapestry of unspoken rules: living with being different in the academic space 98
30. Making space for Black voices and Black visions: the formation and work of the African Diaspora Postgraduate Network 104
31. Reflections on Part III and prompts for action 109
32. Academic support: the right thing, in the right place, at the right time
33. Reaching beyond the horizon: being inspired to succeed against the odds 113
34. In and out of prison: my personal research journey of being a Black woman, researching Black women 118
35. Not in this alone: being supported to break down barriers to PhD success 122
36. When seasons change: dealing with a change in my situation while studying for a PhD 127
37. Believing that the impossible is possible: my story of being supported to succeed 131
38. Reflections on Part IV and prompts for action 136
39. Reflections at the completion of the PhD journey
40. What it means to be the first: my journey from Windrush to PhD 141
41. Why the ‘P’ in PhD stands for (Black) Power 146
42. (Un)making the imposter syndrome 152
43. I came all this way for this?! An international student’s experience of UK higher education 157
44. Reflections on Part V and prompts for action 162
45. Conclusion and recommendations 163
46. Our ancestors’ wildest dreams … (fictionalisation) 176
47. Afterword: For our community 179
48. Index 180