Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce, describe, and document the methods involved in the preparation of a mindset intervention built into a freshmen development course, and established after years of longitudinal research, that is designed to have a positive impact on the outlook, achievement, and persistence of first generation…

The post-apartheid era in South Africa was intended to be a period in which to redress past injustices in almost all social spheres, including education, particularly in terms of curriculum transformation to include African-centered knowledge systems. However, research reveals the limitations posed by compensatory education, particularly when it…

High-stakes testing can be a major hurdle for individuals who know the material well, but have trouble understanding the language of the test. Many people have difficulty understanding test questions when the wording of the question is different from the language variation typically used by the test-taker. This research builds on prior research…

To address the U.S. labor shortage in the fields of agriculture and STEM, higher education needs to recruit, retain, and prepare more underrepresented minority students into agricultural and STEM disciplines. Teachers play important roles in student learning, which can lead to student academic and professional success. With university classrooms…

Black female faculty (BFF) automatically face a number of (un)conscience struggles as they enter into the academy as junior faculty. As a result, there is often a sense of burnout and overcompensation to mitigate the oppressive experiences related to race and gender. This article conceptualizes a thorough review of the literature of the struggle…

Focusing on a YouTube performance by an emergent Finnish Somali rapper and the audience responses it has generated, this paper looks at ways in which rap music engages with the issue of belonging. Drawing on recent theorizations of belonging as a multi-dimensional, contingent and fluid process, along with sociolinguistic work on globalization and…

The purpose of this study is to offer a nuanced examination of how Black families influence academic achievement and college-going by disaggregating data by ethnicity and nativity. Specifically, the authors explore how families shape the academic and college-going motivations of Black native students and Black immigrant students. Findings suggest…

There has been great concern about the relationship between the federal government and universities with regard to improving funding for research and scholarly activity. Faculty members at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been instrumental in advancing research and development on behalf of society. The purpose of this…

Researcher reflexivity, meaning the revealing of the researcher's assumptions and her position vis-à-vis those researched, has by now become commonplace. This article explores such issues in the context of a larger study of transnational adoption for which I conducted interviews with South African birth mothers as both a researcher/interviewer and…

This cross-sectional, exploratory study examined positive mental health (PMH) in 156 Black college students, ages 18-25, attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). In addition, identity-related constructs such as spirituality, self-esteem, social support, life satisfaction, racial…

Colleges and universities across the nation are seeking a president with unique qualities to transform their institution. Notwithstanding, surprisingly, few studies have examined how African American presidents confront race while also successfully ascending into the presidency. The purpose of this study was to explore and interpret the…

The influence of hip hop culture and music on African-American youth is profound and can be used as a tool to shape positive outcomes in education. Hip hop has been used effectively in the classroom to engage students and enhance their critical thinking (Gangloff-Bailey & Freeman, 2014). In addition, hip hop has been described as a socializer…

This study examined factors that contribute to the success of African American professionals in STEM careers. Data were collected through a survey from 40 participants and in-depth interviews with eight of them. The survey was used to explore the participants' educational experiences from elementary school through college and on their STEM-related…

Each year, as the title of this report suggests, UNCF awards well over 10,000 scholarships, fellowships and internships under 400 programs. As UNCF receives no federal or state funds, these programs are supported by contributions from corporations, foundations, families and individuals-- investments in the futures of the students who receive the…

Efforts are underway to globalize sociology in the United States through study abroad experiences. At the same time, there is a push to extend the reach of such programs to students of color. We use student journal entries and fieldnotes from trips to South Africa to analyze how students of color grapple with a disruption of identity in a Black…