Black women pursuing special education doctoral degrees face many challenges that contribute to their underrepresentation in subsequent full-time faculty positions at institutions of higher education (IHEs; Vassar & Barnett, 2020). This lack of representation impacts the quality of pre-service training provided within special education preparation programs at IHEs, thus hindering the quality of educational practices provided to racially and ethnically marginalized students with dis/abilities who face disproportionate rates of educational inequities (Annamma, 2018). Therefore, this qualitative study used sista circle methodology to explore the challenges and coping mechanisms specific to Black women in special education doctoral programs. Data were collected from a cohort of seven sista scholars (i.e., participants), including myself as a co-participant, through a combination of sista circles (similar to focus groups) and a questionnaire. The study integrated member checking, reflexivity, and triangulation methods to strengthen the trustworthiness of the findings. Findings illuminated the multifaceted nature of doctoral socialization for Black women in special education programs and contribute to a deeper understanding of their experiences, which provide valuable opportunities for improving their representation within the field.
