Ep. 140: Dr. Monique Lane on #BlackGirlJoy and Slowing Down The Doctoral Journey to Focus on Fertility

Dr. Monique Lane

Ph.D. in Urban Schooling

University of California, Los Angeles

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Welcome to another episode of the Cohort Sistas Podcast. Here today to discuss her work on Black girlhood and Black joy, and how she slowed down the doctoral journey to focus on fertility, is tenured professor Dr. Monique Lane. During this conversation, she shares how she published her dissertation in a book called Engendering #BlackGirlJoy. How to Cultivate Empowered Identities and Educational Persistence in Struggling Schools, and the two key offerings she has outlined in it. Next, she unpacks what she means by joy, and how Black girl joy is the precursor to Black girl magic. We talk about her journey from undergrad, to high school teacher, to doctoral student and beyond, and how her work as a teacher motivated the research direction she took during her doctorate, as well as sharing highlights and challenges from her journey in the world of education, and why she believes it is divine work. We hope you join us today to hear all this and more! 

Connect with Dr. Monique Lane on LinkedIn and on her website. You can also purchase her recently published book, Engendering #BlackGirlJoy.

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to today’s guest, Dr. Monique Lane. 

• How she published her dissertation in a book called Engendering #BlackGirlJoy. How to Cultivate Empowered Identities and Educational Persistence in Struggling Schools.

• The two key offerings in the book: a Black feminist pedagogical framework that describes how to cultivate safe spaces with Black girl learners, and her story as a resource for teachers.

• How she has drawn on Brittany Cooper’s definition of joy as being in process.

• What she means by Black girl joy: conscious unfolding in the face of systemic injustice.

• Why she believes Black girl joy is the precursor to Black girl magic.

• How the discussion of the Black feminist pedagogy is anchored in her students’ testimony.

• The journey from undergrad, to high school teacher, to doctoral student and beyond.

• How she identified that Black girl learners were navigating the same problems she did. 

• Why she chose to return to UCLA: proximity, and a focus on social justice.

• How working as a K through 12 teacher prepared her to work as a professor.

• High points in her doctoral studies: realizing she was a strong student, having a clear vision of the kinds of learners she wanted to uplift, and being able to mentor education students.

• The award she won during her studies: the Distinguished Teaching Associate Award.

• Challenges she faced: facing imposter syndrome, and thriving at a mostly white institution.

• How her family and friends were a huge support to her during this time. 

• The fact that she is an introvert and how that reinforces her belief that it is divine work.

• Why she easily forgets the value of community and connection: she can be insular.

• How she slowed down her studies to focus on her fertility journey which was tumultuous.

• What it was like to be a new mom, writing up her findings, and working full time.

• Her postdoc journey on the Provost Postdoctoral Research Award at Columbia University's Teachers College.

• How she learned that she was nearly out of eggs, at 31, after trying to get pregnant naturally.

• The story of how she moved her whole family to New York City while she did her postdoc.

• Why she started the And Still We Rise conference at Columbia during her postdoc studies.

• Her current work as a newly tenured Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, St. Mary's College of California.

• The mentorship she received from Dr. Venus Evans-Winters in the Black girl research space.

• How important mentorship between Black women is.

• What she would have done differently in her journey: research what it means to be a full-time faculty member.

• Advice from Dr. Lane: remember that you are blessed with a divine light, don’t be afraid to honor it and rise to your potential. Embrace your intuition and be authentic.

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The Cohort Sistas Podcast brings to life the stories, struggles, and successes of Black women with doctoral degrees and their lives beyond the degree. If you are a Black woman interested in joining the Cohort Sistas community, sign up to do so here, and if you are looking for more information on how to support or partner with Cohort Sistas, please visit our partnerships page. Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to follow The Cohort Sistas Podcast, rate the show, and leave us a quick review.