36th Annual Student Research Conference
Understanding White Students' Racial Awareness in Predominantly Black Settings
Alexis Cook
Dr. Amber Johnson and Dr. Brian Ott, Faculty Mentors
Scholars have evaluated the effect of what Elijah Anderson calls the “white space” on non-whites, and the effect of white students in predominantly Black educational institutions such as HBCUs. There is little scholarship, however, about white people remaining in Black spaces at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Using snowball sampling and in-depth interviews, I extend this limited body of work by sharing the unique perspectives of white students in predominantly Black spaces in a larger predominantly white institution. I will evaluate two hypotheses: (a) the majority of white students will have a sense of racial consciousness as a result of being in majority Black spaces, and (b) the majority of white students will have characteristics that reflect the presumed characteristics of Black Americans.
Keywords: race, identity formation, racial identity, blackness, college, whiteness, colorblind
Topic(s):African-American Studies
Sociology
Communication
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 203-1
Location: SUB Georgian Room B
Time: 10:15