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Abstract
Black student affairs professionals are not the primary group of focus in most empirical studies. Much of the literature about Black people at PWIs in higher education focuses on student and faculty experiences (Wolfe & Dilworth, 2015). The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to explore experiences and strategies Black student affairs professionals use to cope, work through, and overcome various forms of racism and discrimination at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Through a transformative paradigm, this study utilized BlackCrit (Dumas & Ross, 2016) as a guide to the emancipation of non-dominant groups to uncover stories using sociocultural lenses, as well as The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), as frameworks to understand how participants expressed navigating through anti-Black environments. Twelve individuals participated in a 60-minute semi-structured interview. The analysis indicated that there are significant challenges that Black student affairs professionals endure in finding their way in the workplace. Findings from the study were summarized in four research themes and subthemes: Isolation (The Only One, Lack of Supervisor Support), Forms of Labor (Emotional Labor, Secondary Labor, Pressure to Succeed, Fighting for Credibility), Networks and Communities (Family/Friends/Other, Mentors, Brother’s Keeper/Sister Circles), and Resistance (Coping Skills, Exiting the Field). These four identified themes and their subthemes reflect what Black student affairs professionals experience within white spaces. Based on the findings from this study, institutional leaders and supervisors can improve the experiences of Black student affairs professionals at PWIs by focusing on its implications. This includes 1) Lightening the Load, 2) Building Networks and Community, 3) Providing Campus and Community Resources, 4) Preparing Supervisors and Leaders, and 5) Confronting Racism and Encouraging Anti-racist Work. These implications are not all inclusive of the future as the needs of Black student affairs professional can change or be different based on the support systems in place at PWIs over time. Future implications for research, theory and practice serve as a guide for institutional leaders and supervisors to understand the experiences of Black student affairs professionals at PWIs.