Yesterday we talked about the journey that is being a Black woman with a doctorate. Let’s break down the stages of the journey. I call the stages pillar, because each of them is foundational to the structure of the life you’re building through your research and work.
Foundation: You’re in the thick of it — ABD, dissertation mode, survival mode. This is your pillar. Connect with sistahs who are right where you are.
Scaffolding: You’ve defended — now you’re building. Book projects, academic writing, and carving out your scholarly identity are the work of this pillar.
Edifice: You’re navigating leadership and figuring out who you are in that role. This is where you build your leadership identity — on your own terms.
Inheritance: You’ve stepped into something new — a department chair role, a directorship, an unexpected transition. This pillar is about leading what you’ve inherited. Or leading what you’re creating with inheritance in mind.
Legacy: You’ve had a full career and life — and now you’re thinking about what endures. The work of this pillar is for senior leaders, administrators, and trailblazers who are building something that outlasts them.
These pillars are fluid, and you may find yourself in multiple pillars at any given time, but these are the structures we use to build our careers and our legacies. As Black women with doctorates, we need to be in community with other Black women in these stages. Sometimes we need words of encouragement, and sometimes we need to share what we have learned with others who come behind us. Sometimes we just need another sistah to witness what we are experiencing.
Sistahs on the Doctoral Journey (SDJ) is a community of Black women from ABD through wherever your doctoral journey takes you where you can be yourself and give and get what you need. In our community, you can drop the mask you wear every day, relax, and breathe. Fully. Deeply. Finally.
The doors of the SDJ community open on July 1, 2026. Join by June 30, 2026 for a discounted membership for as long as you stay in our community.
Join today at the link below and share this with a sistah you know who is also on the journey.
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