Outcast Phenomenon: Revealing Voices of African American Graduate Students

• In Event: Professional and Personal Identities of Faculty and Graduate Students

Abstract

Historically, race, racism, and culture are used as expounding variables to challenges faced by students of color in today’s schools. The current study intends to add to the literature on the personal and community experiences of people of color as valid sources of knowledge. Utilizing critical race theory as its conceptual framework and counter-storytelling as a tool of analysis, this narrative inquiry explores the lived experiences of twelve Black graduate students attending predominantly white institutions. To understand the role of race in the broader context of society and its connection to student achievement, this study investigates factors that impact successes and challenges African American students experience as they navigate through graduate school.

Authors

• April Marie Clay, University of Redlands

• Jose Worrell Lalas, University of Redlands