Date of Award

2024-05-09

Degree Name

PhD Education for Social Justice

Dissertation Committee

Joseph Lathan, PhD, Chair Elizabeth Butler, PhD, Member Antar Tichavakunda, PhD, Member

Keywords

Black placemaking, Black Student Union, Black resource center, counterspaces, campus racial climate, Critical race theory (CRT), higher education

Abstract

This qualitative case study examined how Black college students build and maintain a sense of community at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Informed by relational sociological methodology and the conceptual framework of Black placemaking, this study foregrounded the nuanced process of community building, focusing on the interplay between Black students and the spaces—physical and digital—they cocreate collectively. This study particularly emphasized the significance of the Black Student Union (BSU) as a foundational Black student organization at PWIs. The following lines of inquiry guided this study: (a) How do Black undergraduate students at a PWI define the Black community? (b) What are the key processes and structures involved in maintaining and sustaining the Black community within a PWI? (c) In what ways does the Black Student Union (BSU) contribute to and facilitate the process of building a sense of community within a PWI? Interviews were conducted with 18 members of the BSU. Additionally, observations were carried out in various Black spaces (e.g., Black resource center [BRC], classrooms, events specifically catered to the Black community). Social media accounts affiliated with the BSU, BRC, and Africana studies department were also analyzed. Findings from the study revealed a Black campus community defined by resilience and active engagement, with Black liberatory spaces serving as its foundation. The study underscored the significant role of the BSU as the cornerstone of the community while highlighting hidden labor costs in its sustainability. The findings from this study provided theoretical and rich qualitative insight into Black students’ experiences.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Learning and Teaching

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