“Can I do this?” Multiracial student decisions to engage with racial justice student organizations at a historically White institution

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (174) ◽  
pp. 29-35
Author(s):  
Victoria K. Malaney‐Brown
Keyword(s):  
Student Organizations ◽  
Racial Justice ◽  
Historically White ◽  
White Institution

Black Students and Positive Racialized Emotions: Feeling Black Joy at a Historically White Institution

2021 ◽  
pp. 016059762110329
Author(s):  
Antar A. Tichavakunda
Keyword(s):  
Black Students ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Historically White ◽  
Full Spectrum ◽  
White Institutions ◽  
White Institution ◽  
Black Life ◽  
Historically White Institutions ◽  
Permanence Of Racism

Black students attending historically White institutions of higher education (HWIs) experience the full spectrum of emotions. Given the permanence of racism and Black collegians’ inequitable experiences at HWIs much research focuses on Black students’ negative emotions as a result of racist conditions. Little research, however, examines Black students’ positive emotions and feelings on campus. This paper centers on affect, exploring how Black students experience “Black joy” in an otherwise White space. Guided by Eduardo Bonilla Silva’s theory of racialized emotions as well as socio-historical scholarship examining the dynamism of Black life in oppressive contexts, this paper analyzes how participants, themselves, understand and describe Black joy. In this paper, the author draws upon interviews with 29 Black collegians at the same HWI. Findings demonstrate how Black students associated Black joy with being, achievement, and collectivity. By studying Black students’ accounts of joy at an HWI, scholars stand to gain a more textured understanding of both HWIs and Black collegians’ experiences.

“What Is the Real Belief on Campus?” Perceptions of Racial Conflict at a Minority-Serving Institution and a Historically White Institution

2021 ◽  
Vol 123 (9) ◽  
pp. 144-170
Author(s):  
Blanca Elizabeth Vega
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Race Relations ◽  
Students Of Color ◽  
Research Question ◽  
College Campuses ◽  
Organizational Conflict ◽  
Historically White ◽  
Racial Conflict ◽  
White Institution ◽  
Compositional Diversity

An organizational conflict lens offers a distinct understanding of how higher education administrators and postsecondary students experience racial conflict on their campuses. Despite students of color historically reporting incidents with overt and subtle forms of racism on college campuses (George Mwangi et al., 2018; Hurtado & Ruiz, 2015; Nguyen et al., 2018; Serrano, 2020), postsecondary leaders continue to report positive race relations on campus (Jaschik & Lederman, 2017). This conflict in perception is the focus of this article. To understand how race-related conflicts are perceived in higher education, I examined perceptions of racial conflict across two types of postsecondary campuses. I used compositional diversity, or a numerical illustration of various racial and ethnic groups (Hurtado et al., 1998; Milem et al., 2005), as a determinant to decide which campuses to study for how racial conflict is understood by administrators, faculty, and students. Drawing from organizational conflict theory, this year-long qualitative study involved 35 open-ended interviews conducted at a minority serving institution (MSI) and a historically White institution (HWI). The main research question was: How does compositional diversity shape stakeholders’ perceptions of racial conflict? Across both campuses, and despite differences in compositional diversity, administrators responded similarly: they noted minimal problems among students regarding racism on their campuses. Alternately, students across both campuses responded similarly: they noted these issues as well but described it in terms of frequency and severity. To make sense of this, I describe findings in three ways: interpersonal and structural racism, intergroup conflict, and historical perspectives about racial conflict. Background/Context: Despite students of color historically reporting incidents with overt and subtle forms of racial conflict on college campuses, postsecondary leaders continue to report positive race relations on campus. Unfortunately, various forms of conflict are often reduced to isolated incidents that are disconnected from aspects of campus culture and climate. Although conflict is a permanent and indelible aspect of organizations, racism and other forms of race-related conflict on college campuses continue to be studied on an interpersonal level, less so at the organizational level of higher education. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: An organizational conflict lens offers a distinct understanding of how higher education administrators and postsecondary students experience racial conflict on their campuses. Despite students of color historically reporting incidents with overt and subtle forms of racism on college campuses, postsecondary leaders continue to report positive race relations on campus. This conflict in perception is the focus of this article. To understand how race-related conflicts are perceived in higher education, I examined perceptions of racial conflict across two types of postsecondary campuses. I used compositional diversity, or a numerical illustration of various racial and ethnic groups, a determinant to decide which campuses to study for how racial conflict is understood by administrators, faculty, and students. The main research question I asked was: How does compositional diversity shape stakeholders’ perceptions of racial conflict? Research Design: To understand perceptions of racial conflict, I conducted a multiple case study of two types of institutions in the northeastern United States: a historically white institution (HWI) and a minority-serving institution (MSI). I purposely selected two racially distinct institutions to explore compositional diversity in higher education. I first asked: How does compositional diversity shape stakeholders’ perceptions of racial conflict? Drawing from organizational conflict theory, this year-long qualitative study involved 35 open-ended interviews conducted at a MSI and an HWI. Specifically, I sought respondents who were positioned informants. This approach assumes that informants’ positions inform their behaviors. Conclusions/Recommendations: Although the data here cannot be applied to all institutions, some lessons can be extracted for further exploration, should administrators and researchers desire to understand race-based organizational conflicts. Indeed, across both campuses and despite differences in compositional diversity, administrators responded similarly: they noted minimal problems among students regarding racism on their campuses. Alternately, students across both campuses responded similarly: they noted these issues as well but described it in terms of frequency and severity. To make sense of this, I describe findings in three ways: interpersonal and structural racism, intergroup conflict, and historical perspectives about racial conflict.

scholarly journals Available but Not Approachable: Black Business Students’ Interactions with Faculty at a Historically White Institution

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-250
Author(s):  
Monica E Allen ◽  
Sandra L. Dika
Keyword(s):  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Black People ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Black Population ◽  
Black Business ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Historically White ◽  
White Institution

Persistent racial inequities in educational attainment and employment negatively affect the economic mobility of the Black population in the United States. Among college graduates, Black people are underrepresented in most high-paying college majors, except for business. In this phenomenological study framed by Critical Race Theory, Black business students (n=10) at a Historically White Institution shared their perceptions of the climate and experiences of interactions with faculty. Students reported they often felt unwelcome and othered in the White-dominated space and received limited support from White faculty that were frequently “available but not approachable”. Future research and practice should focus on institutional strategies to address racism by developing an equitable and welcoming business school culture and fostering cultural competence of faculty.    

How Involvement in African American Student Organizations Supports and Hinders Academic Achievement

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 88-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Guiffrida
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
African American ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
African American Students ◽  
Student Organizations ◽  
African American Student ◽  
American Student ◽  
Predominantly White Institution ◽  
American Students ◽  
White Institution

The perspectives of 84 African American students attending a predominantly White institution (PWI) were qualitatively analyzed to identify the conditions under which African American student organizations were perceived as assets and liabilities to academic success. Results indicate that involvement in African American student organizations can hinder the academic achievement of students who value hierarchical leadership styles, service toward systemic change, and leadership experiences over grades. Implications for advising African American students at PWIs are provided along with suggestions for modifying Astin's (1984) theory of student involvement when applying it to African Americans at PWIs.

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