"My God Is Black": Black Literacies Matter in the Context of a Predominantly White Institution

• In Event: Constructing Identities Across Language and Literacy Experiences

Abstract

Grounded in the concept of White Institutional Presence (WIP), this qualitative case study explores, using the method of The Listening Guide, the impact of White monoculturalism on one Black female student’s sense of self and ways of being in the Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Data include participant’s writings, researcher’s reflection journals, and transcriptions of interviews. Findings indicate that the student experienced inner struggles, lack of sense of community, and self-determination in the relational context of the monocultural PWIs, as evidenced by her use of “we”, i.e., community voice of belonging, only five times during six years of interviews. This study provides significant implications for teachers and administrators about the better understanding and pedagogy of marginalized students, particularly Black students.

Authors

• Heeok Jeong, Stephen F. Austin State University

• Diane Lynn Gusa, SUNY - Canton