Tracing the C.R.O.W.N.

Reclaiming the Dissertation as a Living Cultural Document

Abstract

This zine is part manifesto, part love letter, and part survival guide. It explores the intersections of identity, representation, and resilience in my journey as a Black woman earning a PhD in mechanical engineering. The opening pages of my dissertation (abstract, title, dedication, acknowledgments, and preface) become the backdrop, turning the most “official” part of my academic life into a space for storytelling and resistance. These pages are remixed with reflections, margin notes, and collage-like interventions that reveal what the dissertation cannot: the late nights, the self-doubt, the cultural negotiations, and the small victories that made the work possible.

Rather than existing quietly in an institutional archive, this zine reclaims the dissertation as a living, breathing cultural document. It honors the mentors, ancestors, and communities who lifted me up while questioning who scholarship is truly for and who gets to be represented. Positioned at the crossroads of design justice, perzine traditions, and public humanities, it invites readers to see dissertations not as endpoints but as sites of creativity, healing, and collective memory. This project blends Black-centered design, memoir, and critical making to challenge the boundaries of academic publishing and offer a more human, inclusive vision for scholarly communication.