Liberationships: Critical Mentorship in Practice

In this book, we share about the history of women of color in higher education, the pervasive marginalization of their presence and perspectives, and the need for liberatory relationships. We then highlight the duoethnographic research we conducted on three multigenerational relationships spanning 22 years of relationship of three women of color that resulted in the creation of the Transformational Mentorship of Women of Color in Higher Education model to give language to the unique and liberatory aspects of these relationships. This approach to studying mentorship is new in the field and offers deep insight into the transformative power of women of color relationships and a model counter narrative to current mentorship models and their inherent maintenance of White supremacy. Through approaching mentorship with critical pedagogies, these relationships have developed into spaces of transformative learning, liberation, and as sites as resistance to the systemic power and inequities at a predominantly White institution.

As the model is presented, we embed reflection questions to help readers prepare for the implementation of this research-based approach to improve student experiences. The final section of the book includes specific recommendations and tools for how to intentionally facilitate such partnerships using the model with considerations for program administrators, mentors, and mentees in higher education and beyond.