The journey to finding one's place in academia can be complex, especially for Black students navigating Predominantly White institutions (PWIs). My path through higher education--from feeling invisible in some White spaces to discovering true belonging at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU)--illustrates how educational environments…

White fragility has created a number of problems and challenges for Black students regarding authenticity and equality in the classroom. Racial discrimination in education and its disparities have come full circle mirroring history with the continued fight for an equitable education as a Black student. Black students continue to be mistreated and…

Through qualitative methodology, the researcher examined the challenges that Black male college students at predominantly White institutions face when seeking to locate or establish relationships with mentors at their institutions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to get first-hand knowledge of ten senior undergraduate Black males…

The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the motivational factors behind Black students' decisions to attend either a historically Black college/university (HBCU) or a predominantly white institution (PWI) when applying to both institutional systems. The study sample included 24 total participants: 12 first-year students from an HBCU…

This study aimed to develop and validate the Institutional Racial Bias Cost (IRBC) scale, a race-focused construct grounded in Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT) (Eccles & Wigfield, 2020), to capture the experiences of Black students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Drawing on cognitive interviewing procedures and qualitative…

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the experiences of African American doctoral students with tokenism at a Midwestern predominantly White institutions (PWI), revealing both advantages and disadvantages, including the toll of "Black taxes" in academia. Tokenism offers benefits like visibility and resources but brings…

This study examined the lived experiences of Black girls at a Predominantly White Independent School (PWIS). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Black, female graduates of Arlington Hall, a private school in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. Transcripts were analyzed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to…

Data analysis found that having a mentorship relationship for Black males at historically White higher education institutions had a significantly different level of resiliency and sense of belonging. Previous research has focused on qualitative data aligned with this quantitative study's results. This study utilized a quantitative methodology to…

In response to a call to fill the gap left by previous studies on collegiate sorority rejection, this study explored the meaning Black women ascribe to experiences of rejection from historically Black sororities. Utilizing Black Feminist Thought and Sista Circle Methodology, this study introduced narratives from five Black women who came together…

This dissertation explores the perceptions of African American male students regarding mentoring programs at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It evaluates the impact on career planning, academic performance, and self-efficacy. Using a causal-comparative mixed-method research design,…

In this manuscript, we share results from a qualitative case study that analyzed the disciplinary experiences of four Black boys who attended the same predominantly white Christian school (PWCS). Our research on Black boys in PWCS provided critical insight into the ways in which school discipline is handled in contexts that have been under…

Research suggests that exposure to microaggressions diminishes cognitive resources. Using "in vivo" experimental methodology, we found that engagement in a breathing exercise may mask the effects of cognitive depletion in Black college women who are exposed to racial microaggressions. Sixty-one Black college women were randomly assigned…

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore Black men's lived experiences at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) through a student involvement lens. This study used critical race theory to determine if the experiences of Black men align with the desired outcomes of involvement theory. Racism is acknowledged by critical race theory…

This qualitative action research study aimed to examine and improve the experiences of social connectedness and sense of belonging among Black students at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Initial data collected from Cycle 1 showed that Black students faced multiple challenges on campus, primarily stemming from a perceived negative campus…

This phenomenological study explores Black male students' lived experiences with racial microaggressions and the subsequent perceptions of their mental health while attending a predominately white institution (PWI). Data is collected through a focus group and semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 Black male participants from a northeastern…