Making Space Where None Existed

Before Jayda Hendrickson could name her work, she had to feel the absence of herself within it.

“I didn't feel included in the work as a literal Black girl,” she said. “So I was like, okay, this is a

perfect lens to look at this from.”

That moment of recognition became the starting point for what would grow into a body of

research that does more than engage academic theory. It questions it, reshapes it and insists

on making space where none existed before.

A graduating senior International Studies major with double minors in Comparative Women’s

Studies and Food Studies, Hendrickson has spent her time at Spelman building an intellectual

foundation rooted in Black girlhood, structural violence and Afro-pessimism.

As both a UNCF Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and a Black Girlhood Studies Fellow with Justice

for Black Girls, her work moved across disciplines and geographies, connecting theory to lived

experience in ways that feel both deeply personal and globally aware. Her path to this work was not

linear. Like many Spelman students, she entered college with a clear and familiar vision of impact.

“I was like, yeah, I want to be a civil rights lawyer,” she said. “That's kind of the way that we

frame how we can help people.”

Over time, that vision shifted, not away from impact but toward a different understanding of what

impact could look like. Through research, mentorship and her own intellectual curiosity,

Hendrickson began to see theory not as abstract but as a tool, one capable of naming

experiences, challenging systems and opening new ways of thinking.

“I’ve spent kind of the last four years trying to figure out what my research niche would be,” she

said. “So for me to be recognized, I’m just like, wow, I’ve actually been doing something that's

meaningful and thoughtful.”

Central to her work is the idea of language, not just as expression but access, clarity and power.

For Hendrickson, developing a critical vocabulary for Black girls is about more than academic

contribution. It is about recognition.

“When we have language to describe our experiences, we understand that our experiences

aren’t isolated,” she said. “It’s a part of a broader system of structural violence.”

That understanding, she explained, can shift how Black girls see themselves by removing

blame, reframing experiences and making space for connection and possibility. At the same time,

Hendrickson is intentional about who her work is for. While deeply embedded

in academic spaces, she resists the idea that scholarship should remain inaccessible.

“I would hate for the things that I’m writing about or the people that I’m writing about to be

unable to access the work,” she said.

This commitment to accessibility extends beyond the classroom. Whether volunteering with girls

and women in South Africa or working with students through Spelman’s honors programming, she 

continuously grounds her research in the community. These experiences serve as a reminder

that the issues she studies are not distant. They are lived, ongoing and interconnected across

Borders.

Her time abroad, particularly in Cape Town, further expanded her perspective. What began as

an effort to understand Black girlhood globally became a deeper interrogation of her own

position as an American scholar.

“I realized how I was positioned on the outside as an American,” she said. “And so now I’m very

cautious of not imagining an experience that's not happening.”

This awareness has reshaped how she approaches research, centering listening, accountability

and a more nuanced understanding of identity across different contexts. Even within academic and

competitive spaces, Hendrickson navigates the complexities of being rooted in a perspective that is

not always reflected or understood.

“It’s a constant battle,” she said. “How much of myself will I give to this conversation?”

Still, she remains committed to the possibilities within those spaces, particularly the classroom.

“A main reason why I want to get my PhD is not just to produce research,” she said, “but it’s

really to be in the classroom and be able to teach and learn from students.”

For Hendrickson, teaching is not separate from her scholarship. It is an extension of it, a space

where theory becomes dialogue and where knowledge is not only produced but shared. Through it all,

her work has become more than an academic pursuit. It has become a way of understanding herself,

her community and her responsibility within both.

“Every time I do a presentation, I feel like I’m one step closer, and I can feel the little Black girl in

myself really just like, yes, you’re doing good,” she said.

As she prepares to graduate, Hendrickson is less concerned with leaving behind titles and more

focused on expanding what is possible for those who come after her.

“I want people to understand that there are other ways and avenues to do thoughtful and

meaningful work,” she said.

Her legacy at Spelman will not be defined solely by what she accomplished, but by what she

made visible. Black girls are not only worthy of study. They are thinkers, theorists and architects

of knowledge in their own right.