“We Have the Potential”––Math as a Racialized Barrier: Counter-Narratives of Black and Latinx Working-class California Community College STEM Students

Abstract

Within the CCC system, mathematics has been identified as the most considerable barrier to persistence, transfer, and degree completion (Cooper et al., 2022). Recent research corroborated the notion that mathematics serves as a gatekeeper for Black and Latinx students; historically, this subject has impeded students of color from accessing educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM; Joseph et al., 2021). Consequently, mathematics has evolved into a racialized impediment for students and, by extension, STEM graduates. Recognizing mathematics’ critical role in shaping students’ future prospects, the state legislature introduced California Assembly Bill 705 (AB 705; California Assembly Bill 705 [AB 705], 2017) to provide an intervention implemented in the fall of 2019. The purpose of this study was to examine how Black and Latinx working-class STEM students interpret and derive meaning from their mathematics trajectories, as well as the strategies they develop to navigate transfer-level mathematics environments in post-AB 705 (2017) contexts. Utilizing critical race theory (CRT) as a framework, the research documented students’ counter-narratives with the aim of enhancing transfer rates and STEM transfer readiness for students of color in STEM fields. Additionally, the study established connections between the policy and existing research on STEM momentum and transfer success through the voices of students of color.

Five self-identified Black and Latinx students who enrolled at a CCC in the fall of 2019 or later and transferred to either a UC or CSU in the fall of 2023 as a STEM major were interviewed. Additionally, all participating students received the California Promise Grant (California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, 2017) at some point in their CCC careers, which served as a proxy for their socioeconomic status. To further provide context, one STEM counselor and one CCC math instructor with at least 5 years of experience supporting Black and Latinx working-class STEM students were interviewed. The counter-narratives reveal systemic flaws in the education system, from secondary education through community college. Their stories identified systemic barriers primarily in secondary education that hinder the recognition and development of working-class Black and Latinx students’ potential. Additionally, as the student participants transitioned to college, structural racism and classism continued to create barriers to success in transfer-level math courses in community colleges. Concurrently, student narratives highlighted the pivotal aspects at community colleges that contribute to their success, including supportive academic environments, culturally responsive teaching, and inclusive communities, thereby highlighting the barriers and challenges that arise when such aspects are absent in transfer-level math and the STEM pipeline.