Date of Award

Fall 12-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Mary Howard-Hamilton

Second Advisor

Kandace Hinton

Third Advisor

Roland B. Smith Jr.

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the life experiences of Black alumni and their participation in intentional, multicultural programming of cultural facilities to create a sense of counterspace for Black students on historically White college campuses. The study captured the stories of 12 Black alumni who graduated from seven historically White institutions (HWIs), between the years of 2010 and 2016, across four different states. The 12 study participants completed undergraduate and terminal degrees during the years 2009 - 2016 and identified as Black, African, or bi-racial. The interviews, conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic, were conducted on zoom. The theoretical framework of the study was shaped by critical race theory, Bronfenbrenner’s theory of developmental ecology, and racial identity theory, specifically Cross’s (2021) theory of Nigrescence, which illustrates how minoritized people perceive their racial identity and the progression of stages that they experience as they navigate oppression. Five clear themes were identified in participant stories: (a) filtering information: the impact of microaggressions on sense of belonging, (b) filling the vacuum: placemaking and creating counterspace, (c) feeling at home: campus climate and its influence on minoritized student safety and mental well-being, (d) finding your niche: access to dance, performing arts facilities, and multicultural programming, (e) family extensions: the role of Black faculty and staff in minoritized student persistence. The findings from the lived experiences of study participants indicate that intentional multicultural programming at times took place in cultural facilities. In the absence of intentional multicultural programming, participants and their peers sought out opportunities to utilize arts facilities as a form of counterspace.

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