Centering Blackness: Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Practices at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

• In Event: Contemporary Perspectives on Higher Education Achievement and Access

Abstract

Various higher education scholars have examined high impact practices (HIPs) and how certain educational activities relate to student success. While there is a substantial body of research in support of HIPs, less is known about the various ways in which they are implemented at different types of institutions. This study seeks to better understand HIPs and strategies for success at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with an emphasis on how these institutions adopt practices that are enriching for Black students. We explore how such practices manifest in culturally relevant and sustaining ways that allow Black students to pursue educational enrichment within an environment that centers Blackness by acknowledging and infusing Black cultural identity into the overall education enterprise.

Authors

• Krystal L. Williams, University of Georgia - Athens

• Kiara Summerville, The University of Alabama

• Alethia Russell, The University of Alabama