Race and Racism in the Experiences of Black Male Resident Assistants at Predominantly White Universities
Abstract
Recent research has shown a nexus between active out-of-class engagement and the accrual of unique race/gender-specific educational outcomes among Black male undergraduates. Yet, rarely explored are the racialized experiences of those who become actively engaged and assume leadership positions on campuses where racial diversity is low, hence the purpose of this study. Focus group interviews were conducted with 52 Black male Resident Assistants (RAs) at six large, predominantly White universities. Racist stereotypes and racial microaggressions, the complexities associated with “onlyness” in the RA position, and heightened scrutiny from White supervisors are among the findings reported in this article. Also offered are implications for addressing racial toxins that dissuade Black male student leadership in residence halls and other out-of-class engagement venues.
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Avoiding white spaces in which one is the only Black person can operate as a form of self-protection against the burden of Onlyness.
“Avoiding white spaces in which one is the only Black person can operate as a form of self-protection against the burden of Onlyness coined by Harper et al. (2011); that is, the experience of being the only one (e.g., being the only Black student in a lab or in a class; George Mwangi & Fries-Britt, 2015).”
From The Emergence of Racialized Labor and Racial Battle Fatigue in the African American Student Network (AFAM) (2020) · cites this paper as Harper et al., 2011
Cites
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But is it rigorous? Trustworthiness and authenticity in naturalistic evaluation
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“Furthermore, Delgado Bernal (2002) posits that counternarratives can also allow educators to “better understand and appreciate the unique experiences and responses of students of color through a deliberate, conscious, and open type of listening” (p.”
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Finding Voice and Passion: Critical Race Theory Methodology in Science Teacher Education
Mensah, F. M. (2019) · American Educational Research Journal · doi:10.3102/0002831218818093 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Grier-Reed, T., Maples, A., Williams-Wengerd, A., & McGee, D. (2020) · JCSCORE · doi:10.15763/issn.2642-2387.2020.6.2.95-135 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Avoiding white spaces in which one is the only Black person can operate as a form of self-protection against the burden of Onlyness coined by Harper et al. (2011); that is, the experience of being the only one (e.g., being the only Black student in a lab or in a class; George Mwangi & Fries-Britt,…”
Background
- Authors
- Harper, S. R., Davis, R. J., Jones, D. E., McGowan, B. L., Ingram, T. N., & Platt, C. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- University of Massachusetts Lowell (US)
- Indiana University (US)
- Bronx Community College (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- Venue
- Journal of College Student Development
- Publisher
- Project MUSE
- Published
- 2011-03
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 180-200
- ISSN
- 0897-5264 (ISSN-L)
- 1543-3382
- OpenAlex
- W2051100732
- Cited by
- 163
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 20.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of college student development (publishedVersion)
- Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Critical Race Theory in Education
- Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Keywords
- Black male students, resident assistants, predominantly white universities, racism, racial microaggressions, racist stereotypes, student leadership, residence halls, racial diversity
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