My Body is a Temple

Affirming our bodies as Afro-Caribbean Women in Academic Spaces

Authors

  • Makini Beck Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Keara Williams School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Keywords:

Afro Caribbean, Black women academics, Black women’s bodies, Poetic Duoethnography

Abstract

In a world where Black women are policed, invisibilized, and sexualized, we seek to explore the ways Black women engage with their bodies as instruments of confidence, empowerment, and self-love. We explore the research questions: 1)What stories can be told through poetic narratives on the experiences of AfroCaribbean women academics; and 2) What does a holistic education look like for Black women’s bodies to be well in the academy? Using poetic duoethnography, we present our storied narratives in poems and conclude by discussing holistic education and its role in promoting Black women’s well-being in the academy.

Peer Reviewed Submission

Author Biographies

Makini Beck, Rochester Institute of Technology

Makini Beck, Ph.D. holds a dual appointment as an Assistant Professor in the School of Individualized Study and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Rochester Institute of Technology. She focuses her academic inquiry on feminist research methodologies, co-mentoring practices among women of color in academia, as well as understanding the teaching practices and experiences of international teachers in urban school settings.  She is the PI of an NSF grant, WiSEN (Women in STEM Education Network), aimed to support undergraduate and graduate women of color students in STEM.

Keara Williams, School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Keara Williams, M.Ed., is currently pursuing her doctoral degree at the School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Her research centers on Black third spaces and Black joy within the context of public schools. Growing up in South Central, Los Angeles, she intimately understands the multifaceted inequalities and poverty prevalent in the area. Recently, her article in Urban Education delved into the racial trauma encountered by Black students in public schools. It offers practical strategies for educators and school leaders to address and alleviate the racial fatigue often endured by Black students.

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Published

2025-07-08

How to Cite

Beck, M., & Williams, K. (2025). My Body is a Temple: Affirming our bodies as Afro-Caribbean Women in Academic Spaces. Holistic Education Review, 5(1). Retrieved from https://her.journals.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/her/article/view/3337

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2025): Social Justice and Equity in Holistic Education

Section

Centering Marginalized Voices and Epistemologies