Eight Ph.D. candidates from the IU School of Education will not only celebrate the completion of their degrees, but will also make history, as they are the first group of eight African-American women to earn this accomplishment together.
Calling themselves “the great eight,” these women are mothers, wives and community leaders who have formed an unbreakable bond cheering one another along as they made their way to the finish line.
The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper spoke with the eight Ph.D. candidates to learn how it feels to be one of eight Black women to make history, and what this accomplishment means for them and their families.
Jasmine Haywood
These women are change agents, they’re mothers, they’re wives, they’re former athletes, they’re former foster youth and more. We are not all in the same program, and we did not all start the same year, so it is divine intervention that we are finishing together. The Great Eight victory is collective, and we want to honor the communities we came from and the community of Black women faculty members that supported us along the way.
Demetrees Hutchins
My family is unconventional, and it includes numerous people throughout the community and at IUPUI. The genuine and continued support I have received from my “family” throughout my life and academic career coupled with a strong determination to succeed as a former foster youth and become a change agent was the catalyst to completing this terminal degree. This is a “people’s degree,” and I am honored to obtain it on my “family’s” behalf.
Tiffany Kyser
Having a network of women, Black women and women of color in my field of study, within the social sciences and within a supportive recognition of intersectional identity was and is significant. My hope is this story speaks to something much more comprehensive and necessary — the potential institutions of higher education, such as Indiana University, have to create more inclusive and equitable policies, practices and fiscal allocations that engender spaces of intellectual, cultural, socio-emotional and physical safety for all students, staff and faculty.
Shannon McCullough
Being a member of The Great Eight has been a truly inspirational, motivational and humbling experience. I also attribute my motivation to persist through this degree to being a model for my own children. My son and daughter sat beside me during this journey, hearing the importance of education, hard work and never giving up as you strive to be the best you can be despite the struggles along the way.
Nadrea Njoku
So many times in our collective experiences at Indiana University, we have been one of two or the only Black female in the classroom. I find it remarkable that, as we wrap up this major accomplishment, we have the blessing to do it as a unit — a sisterhood bonded by common experiences. However, I do not want our historical accomplishment to overshadow the struggles of Black women in obtaining advanced degrees at predominately white institutions.
Jada Phelps-Moultrie
The importance of my Ph.D. demonstrates our tenacity to be successful, despite wherever we started or whatever we went through in life as a family. I have a picture of my great-great-great grandmother who had to pose with her slave master. Nonetheless, the message of “pulling yourself up” amidst racism transmitted through each generation. I know my ancestors would be proud.
Juhanna Rogers
A dear friend told me eight is a number of completion, and this milestone will be complete in a culturally affirming manner. I am honored that my journey is concluding with a community of seven. When I think about us walking across together, I can’t help but feel like the spirit of our ancestors are with me in such a real way.
Johari Shuck
Getting a Ph.D., particularly in education, means continuing a legacy while forging a new path for my children and other young people in my family. What has meant the world to me is seeing my family members, many of whom never made it to college at all, get excited about my educational journey, which is actually an accomplishment for us all in my eyes.
