After working with youth interested in research and agriculture for several years, Torrie Cropps decided to pursue her doctorate in agricultural sciences education and communication to support students who are underrepresented in the field of agriculture.

At Purdue, Cropps served on the executive board for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences and had a graduate assistantship with the Mentoring@Purdue (M@P) program, which facilitates diverse mentoring relationships and engages minority students in agriculture. Cropps wrote her dissertation on the experiences of Black women in agriculture.

“I focused on the experience of Black women in agricultural doctoral programs,” she explains. “It was hard to find participants for my study, because there aren’t many of us, and some were afraid of possible repercussions. While it’s true that we’re underrepresented, I also found that our stories are silenced.”

Cropps started the Instagram account @agincolor to underscore the experiences of Black women in the discipline. Together with a group of Purdue graduates and graduate students, she also helped organize #BlackinAg week in June 2021. That week and beyond, the group shares the experiences of Black agricultural scholars and students and facilitates networking opportunities on both Twitter and Instagram.

Highlighting these experiences is essential in changing the culture and composition of agricultural programs at institutions like Purdue and the University of Texas at Dallas, where Cropps is currently a postdoctoral researcher. Through her research and storytelling on @agincolor, Cropps challenges academic institutions and individuals to dismantle white supremacy and interrogate how race and racism are woven into the fabric of most systems of higher learning.

“Research on students in agriculture tends to focus on the needs of white students,” Cropps says. “The lack of research on Black women means there are fewer opportunities for folks in agriculture to learn about our experiences, past and present. Centering Black women in research and policy can help with the development of programming and policy that enhances Black women’s sense of belonging and increase retention in the field.”