Supported by the Sisterhood: Relationships With Black Women Science Professionals as Counterspaces for Black Woman's Pursuit of a Career in Science

In this critical autoethnography, I explore the role of relationships with Black women science professionals in shaping my trajectory toward a career as a science education professor. Framed through the lens of Critical Race Feminism (CRF), this narrative highlights four distinct relational counterspaces that supported my academic and professional journey. These relationships functioned as sites of affirmation, mentorship, and resistance—providing emotional sustenance, professional guidance, and refuge from the racialized and gendered barriers often present in STEM fields. By centering my lived experiences, this work underscores how relational counterspaces foster identity development, cultivate belonging, and expand access to science careers for Black women. This autoethnography illuminates the transformative power of sisterhood in navigating and disrupting the structural inequities embedded in science and science education. Keywords: science counterspaces, critical race feminism, mentoring