Imposter Syndrome and your Black Students

Imposter syndrome and your Black Students. Let’s talk about it!

Imposter syndrome can be defined as a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist despite evident success. Those that suffer with imposter syndrome suffer from chronic self-doubt and a sense of intellectual fraudulence that overrides any feelings of success or external proof of their competence.

Many people struggle with this, but people of color are more vulnerable to this sensation. This is because of the messages that are received from society. These messages occur every time we turn on the TV, watch a movie, microaggressions, or read a book and don’t see anyone that looks like you.

There are many scholarly articles out there on this topic, especially in the world of STEM. I recommend diving into it.

I’ve dealt with it personally (pretty heavily) during my undergraduate studies. There’s a lot I can unpack about being a black male in a flute studio filled with mostly white female members at a predominately white institution lol. And I'm currently still trying to overcome it as I excel in my career.

This is just one of the many reasons as to why REPRESENTATION is so important and why educators should continue striving to be culturally responsive in their classroom.