Marginalizing merit?: Gender differences in Black faculty D/discourses on tenure, advancement, and professional success.

Little work has addressed the ways in which race and gender intersect and shape Black professors' experiences as they seek professional advancement. Framed by critical race theory, this qualitative study uses discourse analysis to analyze the narratives of 28 Black professors employed at two research universities. Findings suggest that faculty perceive race and gender influencing their evaluations for academic advancement , with key gender distinctions in discourses about teaching and service in relation to professional success. Black women appear to experience demands in these domains as more emotionally and physically taxing than their male counterparts, adding strain to the tenure and advancement process.