Acknowledgements

First and foremost, I want to thank the women who were brave enough to speak their truths. Thank you for being transparent. Thank you for sharing your stories with me. You inspire and motivate me more than you could know. 

Thank you to my two faculty research advisors, Professor Anne Phillips and Professor Reena Goldthree. Your guidance and support kept me going throughout this process. I appreciate the time and effort you both invested into this project. Grateful that I had two strong, brilliant Black women to help me along this journey.

Thank you to the African and African American Studies Department at Dartmouth College for supporting this effort.  A special thank you to Professor Michael Chaney and Kirsten Giebutowski for your continued administrative support. 

Thank you to Woody Lee and Vicki Marks. You both inspired me to pursue this work in the first place. Thank you for making me see the importance of our history.

Thank you to Samantha Modder ’17 for allowing me to showcase her incredible artwork.

Thank you to the Black women on this campus you have held me down throughout it all.

Finally, thank you to my family. Mom, Dad, Ashton—without you, there is no me. You have sustained me throughout these four years. I cherish your love and support.  Thank you for believing in me. You saw what I was capable of long before I did. Forever grateful that you are mine and I am yours.