Black Men in Leadership: Building Sense of Belonging At A Historically White Institution (HWI)

Nationally, Black men graduate at 39% on six-year graduation rates at four-year, public institutions (NCES, 2022). Black men have experienced one of the lowest rates of success compared with students from other demographic populations (Black & Bimper, 2020), but these outcomes are related to underrepresentation, racial hostility, and social isolation at historically White institutions (HWIs) (Allen et al., 2018; Mustaffa, 2017; Thelin, 2017). The purpose of this study was to explore how leadership roles can help Black men thrive and build belonging with a HWI, even in hostile and unwelcoming climates. The following research question assisted me in gaining insight from participants in this study: How do Black men build a sense of belonging with a HWI through leadership roles? A vital area that contributes to the college experience of Black men centers on their involvement in clubs and organizations (Brooms & Goodman, 2016), which contribute to Black men’s transition, adjustment, and social inclusion in college. Exploring the student involvement of Black men highlights the positive outcomes of their collegiate experience (Brooms, 2018). The theoretical foundation of this single institutional study was rooted in intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) and sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2019). This study used narrative inquiry and semi-structured interviews to explore the rich, in-depth, and nuanced stories of Black men in leadership and their relationship with a HWI. Narrative analysis was used as a method of plotting and analyzing the events, actions, and happenings of narrative data from eight undergraduate Black men in order to produce coherent stories as an outcome of the analysis (Kim, 2015). Emergent themes from the narrative analysis revealed that Black men made connections on campus, framed belonging through relationships and environment, explored belonging through leadership roles, and built institutional belonging through non-Black peers. The stories of these participants indicated that Black men are not a monolith, Black men increased in sense of belonging through leadership roles in both Black and non-Black student organizations, Black student organizations created a space of authenticity for racial identity, and non-Black student organizations helped Black men build institutional belonging at a HWI.

Key words: Black men, Sense of belonging, Intersectionality, HWI, Leadership Roles