Amid the escalating death tolls and the unknowns about the COVID-19 virus, the nation witnessed an endemic of publicized violence against Black people by vigilantes and police officers. Current literature fails to adequately explore the lived experiences of community college leaders as they serve students, sustain programs, or teach while…

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between culturally relevant Black American-sounding names and potential racial microaggressions within problem-solving scenarios in mathematics. Often, marginalized groups are unfairly characterized in society, leading to biased perceptions. Initially, I hypothesized that there would be no…

This study investigated the experiences of seven Black women educators by exploring how they navigate the complex intersections of Black hair identity and the institution of education through collective healing circles. It aims to add dimension to the conversations around intersectionality by including hair and education as they are both vital to…

This purpose of this study was to determine the socio-cultural impact and parameters of Hip-Hop Based Education (HHBE) with the underlying goals of: a) detailing HHBE in relation to previously accepted education paradigms and philosophies; b) detailing the embedded nature of the language of hip-hop in the form of an amalgamation of African…

This dissertation utilized a qualitative collective case study (Stake, 1995) to examine four Black adolescent girls' science identities within the context of an afterschool science program featuring a culturally sustaining science curriculum. Employing a qualitative research design, the study utilized semi-structured interviews, video…

In our political and cultural climate, where America is recovering from a pandemic, affirmative action is no longer the law of the land, DEI programs are being cut, and African American history and heritage are being denied and eradicated; how do African Americans navigate white spaces? How do African American leaders obtain a seat at the table?…

At present, California community colleges serve a large proportion of Black students, but these students are not adequately supported to reach their educational goals (The Campaign for College Opportunity, 2019; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2022; Cross & Carman, 2022 Simpson, J., & Bista, K., 2021). Extensive research…

The continuous disparities in reading test scores between Black and White students remain a substantial problem in education. This study examines the historical disparity by investigating how the Georgia Milestones English Language Arts (ELA) End of Grade (EOG) Assessment incorporates cultural relevance. Employing the theoretical frameworks of…

This project investigates the relationship between joy, critical consciousness, and critical civic learning that exist in critical hip hop pedagogy. In order to discover what is revealed about young people's collective definitions of joy, critical consciousness, and civic identity/literacy, I designed a methodology called Blackout Rap…

This dissertation uses sociocultural linguistics to investigate how Black undergraduates at a Historically White Institution (HWI) understand Blackness, and how their racial socialization experiences in their pre-college years inform that perspective. This project reveals that many Black undergraduates in the HWI context may not have the benefit…

This purpose of this narrative study is to understand the personal stories of Black adults who have experienced mental health benefits from creativity and play. This study aimed to build dialogue that includes the voices of Black adults on what mental health practices are beneficial to them, better informing the pedagogy of counselor educators and…

The purpose of this modified Delphi qualitative research was to obtain a consensus from African American and Caucasian parent educators of elementary grade males. The consensus was to see why African American elementary males are failing because they cannot read on grade level as well as their Caucasian peers. The research involved a modified…

While existing literature has extensively documented interracial stereotypes faced by Black individuals, this study delved into the lesser-explored realm of stereotypes emanating from within the Black community itself. This dissertation explored the experiences of Black female college students in predominantly white educational environments,…

In the United States, many academic institutions are plagued by a history of anti-Black racism. Today, librarians from different racial backgrounds who work at libraries at predominantly White colleges and universities are given the important task of describing materials related to African American cultural heritage. This task has the potential to…

This qualitative instrumental case study addressed the problem of Black males not receiving the support they need in higher education to be academically successful. The study's purpose was to identify if any parts of the historically Black college or university (HBCU) experience could be replicated at non-HBCUs to increase Black male support. The…