Deeply embedded in U.S. higher education institutions is a culture of whiteness that benefits white students, staff, faculty, and administrators through racist policies, structures, and cultural norms designed to uphold whiteness. This culture not only minimizes the presence of racism, but also is pervasive on college campuses, where…

The history of Black people across the globe is marred by structural racism created by colonialism. Structural racism is deeply embedded in the American culture and academia is not excluded from this phenomenon. The research demonstrates that the problem of racism is not only prevalent in four-year academic institutions but also exists in two-year…

Traditionally, imposter syndrome is defined as feelings of inferiority regardless of one's accomplishments and experiences. Imposter syndrome is often viewed as an experience that racially minoritized populations in higher education "must" encounter. But these traditional understandings frame imposter syndrome as a personal flaw rather…

We collected narratives from five undergraduates who identified as either in the process of or had formerly transitioned from one gender to another while enrolled in a postsecondary institution. We used a narrative life story protocol to explore the greater context of participants as individuals. Participant stories focused on: the importance of…

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…

The authors investigated 12 student affairs professionals' experiences with political climate across five predominantly white institutions using a multiple case study constant comparative approach. This article describes how recurring racialized incidents have affected student affairs professionals' ability to navigate the United States political…

Previous literature suggests that students who feel unsafe in their academic settings experience harmful academic, social, and psychological ramifications. With an alarming increase in school shootings, violence, and media coverage, the political discourse surrounding gun violence and strategies to ensure safety on college campuses has become…

This study addressed the need to understand the negative experiences of student affairs practitioners of color (SAPOCs) related to racial battle fatigue (RBF) and the accompanying need to explore how SAPOCs working at predominately white institutions (PWIs) experience RBF. The author conducted a multiple-case study with 10 SAPOCs, who served as…

Purpose: This study aims to explore how science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) graduate students' experiences with and conceptualizations of racism can more clearly expose the current racial climate across multiple academic institutions. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach using a single online…

The purpose of this Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was to examine how diversity is articulated via institutional diversity statements. Drawing on statements from 92 historically white institutions, the study examined both what institutions convey as significant via diversity statements and the subsequent consequences of such language. Guided by…

Black suffering at historically and predominantly white institutions cannot be analogized with other racially minoritized groups. By drawing upon insights from Black Critical Theory (BlackCrit), this study elucidates how antiblackness as a distinct form of racism manifests in Black undergraduates' lives. This study is guided by an instrumental…

Black women face unique challenges based on the intersection of multiple marginalized identities often referred to as the simultaneity of oppression or gendered racism. The purpose of this qualitative study is to expand gendered racial microaggression research by examining the experiences of Black female graduate students at colleges and…

The prevalence of whiteness at selective Historically White Institutions (HWIs) creates hostile and oppressive environments for Latinx/a/o students. Consequently, Latinx/a/o students face racialized barriers that impact their ability to thrive at these institutions. Yet, despite these racialized barriers, Latinx/a/o students have found ways to…

This qualitative, descriptive single case study examined Black graduate students' perceptions of campus racial climate at a predominantly white institution (PWI) and how they were shaped by a president's response to racialized incidents. A greater understanding of how Black graduate students' narratives reveal how whiteness inhabits the PWI and…

Objective: To compare the experiences of Imposter Phenomenon and discrimination among non-Hispanic White (NHW) and racial and ethnic minority (REM) students at a predominantly White Institution (PWI). Participants: 125 undergraduate students (89.6% women, 68.8% NHW, and 31.2% REM). Methods: Participants completed an online questionnaire including…