y to their attending college but generally to their obtaining any sort of future job or career. This is shown by the fact that unemployment rates for young African American women are higher than for white females or males of all ethnic/racial backgrounds, as well as by the unfortunate fact that the numbers of African-American female headed households are steadily increasing as are their poverty rates.
Fitzgerald, Fassinger, and Betz (1995) state that another barrier confronting black women who may wish to go to college is the fact that they face a kind of "double" discrimination. First there is the discrimination associated with being a member of a minority group, plus the need to overcome gender discrimination and sex stereotyping. According to the authors, this double discriminatory influence can create low self-esteem in these girls, making it difficult for them to understand that they can indeed overcome whatever obstacles may be in their way.
There is also the legal issue of affirmative action. According to Slater (1995), there exists ample data supporting the notion that a so-called "race-blind: admissions policy at institutions of higher education, would largely exclude black students from the nation's highest-ranked universities. Indeed, Slater shows that even if admissions policies are based on socioeconomic status and entrance examination scores, these would largely benefit white and Asian students over blacks. Moreover, in their evaluation of the impact of the Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action, Howard University (1997) reported that it has been a significant factor in dissuading many students from seeking a college education.
Given the substantial barriers to college attendance discussed above, it is reasonable to wonder what factors operate to overcome these barriers. At least part of the answer can be found in a study of first-generation college students conducted by Hsiao (1992). First-generation c...