Experiencing mathematics as a Black female – an autoethnography

Abstract

This autoethnographic study was inspired by my own lived experiences with mathematics and mathematics education as a Black female. My study uses my voice to share my own history and my experiences of mathematics education. It was first inspired by my mother and later by my primary and secondary school teachers. My autoethnography is situated within the South African context of continued unequal education provisioning along economic and racial lines. My autoethnography takes cognisance of my own context of being born a Black woman in a South African Black township. Therefore, Black feminist theory was deemed a relevant theory for the study. I personally conducted this study in order to tell my story to others who might find themselves in similar situations. The study is approached from a qualitative perspective and uses autoethnography as the methodology. My mother, father, peers, and primary and secondary school teachers are used as the contributors in this study. I have made use of self-interview, personal memory, archival records and critical conversations to collect data. Through my autoethnography, I hope to fill the gap in the underrepresentation of Black females in mathematics.