We Got Us: Fostering a Safe Space for Aspiring Black Graduate Students
There is no question that racism has continued to be viewed as a global health crisis. With the recent culminating events across the country, racism is at the forefront of academic discussions. Devakumar et al., (2020) stated:
The killing of Mr George Floyd, on the back of numerous other deaths of Black Americans at the hands of the police, and the two–four times increased mortality risk from COVID-19 for minority ethnic groups have brought to light social and structural injustices that have existed for centuries and are derived from the same intersecting systems of oppression (p. 112).
The examples illustrate how this health crisis has detrimental impacts on marginalized communities. Individuals observe and endure injustices against their communities. Often times, they are left to navigate these racist experiences with limited support (Gauthier et al., 2021).
With higher education being a microcosm of society, our institutions are not exempt from racism. Higher education has been centered on white men's experiences and left imprints that can be felt by Black graduate students today (Arday & Mirza, 2018). For example, access to equitable educational experiences was limited or nonexistent for marginalized groups for centuries, only leaving white males with access to higher education (Wilder, 2013). Since then, access to higher education has progressed, but Black graduate students continue to be traumatized during their educational pursuits. Racism and other consequences of racist structures leave Black graduate students reeling for support and care (Brunsma et al., 2017).
Black graduate students commonly experience higher education as an exclusionary and alienating force. One example of how higher education alienates these students is a lack of mentorship and community support (Kanter, 1977). In a recent study by Stone et al. (2018), Black graduate students had difficulty engaging with white faculty due to their ignorance and mistreatment during their interactions. Faculty and peer support have also been limited compared to their white peers, decreasing their sense of belonging and academic confidence (Harper, 2009). The lack of understanding and support “likely erodes their confidence in their intelligence and abilities, and instigates intellectual self-doubt (i.e., impostor feelings)” (Stone et al., 2018, p. 496). Black graduate students disproportionately experience these forms of isolation, damaging the opportunity to create a Black faculty and staff pipeline. In addition to isolation, Black students experience racism and outcomes of racism in the academy. These byproducts of racism include but are not limited to imposter syndrome (Griffin et al., 2014) and racial battle fatigue (Collins-Sibley, 2015). Griffin et al. (2014) asserted that “imposter syndrome refers to strong feelings of self-doubt despite one’s intelligence and credentials, while racial battle fatigue marks the physical, mental, and emotional stress that racialized oppression brings forth (p. 1369). Black students' daily battles with racism can have physiological impacts such as increased fear, frustration, and anger which can contribute to a lack of confidence in their ability to navigate higher education. These challenges make for a more complex academic journey.
While terminal degree attainment can be a challenging experience for all doctoral students, Black doctoral students face a distinct set of challenges, particularly at Predominantly White Institutions (henceforth, PWIs). These challenges are often intellectual, cultural, and environmental (Gay, 2004; Gildersleeve et al., 2011; Lewis et al., 2004; Maton et al., 2011). Black graduate students perceive more academic barriers than their White counterparts such as limited mentorship and training opportunities to work with specialized populations in their respective fields (Maton et al., 2011). These barriers limit access for Black graduate students to opportunities throughout the academy. Further, students report limited faculty mentorship to sustain them during their academic pursuits. Although Black doctoral student graduation numbers are increasing, years of scholarship about the experiences of Black doctoral students show similar incidents of oppression at PWIs (Felder & Barker, 2013). Black doctoral students experience racial discrimination (Barker, 2016; Felder & Barker, 2013; Gildersleeve et al., 2011), isolation (Felder & Barker, 2013; Gay, 2004; Lewis et al., 2004), and hypervisibility, which can lead to the need to overperform in academic spaces (Gay, 2004; Lewis et al., 2004). Students report a lack of support from non-Black peers, which contributes to feelings of isolation (Pirtle et al., 2021). Experiencing these challenges raises the question of how can Black graduate students be expected to thrive in their studies when faced with so many obstacles? Thus, leaving a critical question regarding the socialization of Black graduate students to be explored.