“It’s Just a Reflection of America”: Experiences of Black Collegians With Racism in the Residence Halls at a Historically White Institution

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the role of campus housing in being spaces of injustice for Black students at one Floridian, urban, research university. Using critical race theory (CRT) as a theoretical framework, we analyzed focus group interview data of 28 self-identified Black collegians. From this analysis, three themes emerged: (a) navigating everyday racism with White roommates, (b) counterstories of Black resident advisors (RA), and (c) living-learning communities as microsystems of racial oppression. Based on these findings, we argue that if institutions are to become the beacon for diversity, equity, and inclusion that they purport to be, they need to be more intentional about how they add(red)ress racism in campus spaces. This vision is particularly critical for residence halls, which should be a place of respite for students.