The Background….

Most of you who have been following me know that I am completing my Doctorate in Education.  What I have not discussed is the topic of my dissertation as well as how I selected the topic.  First of all let me state that my research is about the lives and lived experiences of single, professional African American women.  There was an interesting road that led me here.

A few years ago, more accurately several years ago, a good friend of mine invited a group of her female friends over to watch a documentary called SoulMate.  The documentary discussed the issues many single African American women face while dating and attempting to find a mate.  The documentary was interesting to say the least and it provoked much discussion throughout the evening.

One of the things that struck me throughout the evening was how emotional the women in the room were about being single.  There were tears and laments about being single and at first I thought they were joking but I realized that they were serious and some of the women in that room were borderline depressed because they were still single.  On the way home from this ‘Girls Night Out’ I began to wonder how I felt about being single, and where my feelings came from.

I began to think about our pressures from society, from family and at times from peers to marry.  I also thought about how religious institutions also play a large role in how we are viewed as single, professional women in  a society where marriage is the societal norm, even though single, professional women are the largest and fastest growing demographic in today’s society.  To say the least there are topics for great discussion.  For the past few years this topic has been consuming my time.  As I get closer to completing my degree and defending my dissertation, I will be sharing more about what I have discover in my research and looking to have more discussion with my audience.

In the meantime, take a look at the website for the movie SoulMate.  The documentary was made several years ago, however it is very relevant today.  I encourage you all to take a look at the documentary make it a girl’s night and have an honest discussion with your friends about how you feel about being single and how it impacts your life and relationships.