“Don’t Go West”: Examining the Off-Campus Racial Realities of Black Undergraduates

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: #AttendingPWIsWhileBlack: Navigating Racism and Cultivating Joy (Table 27)

Abstract

The experiences of Black undergraduates at historically and predominantly white institutions are shaped by anti-Blackness. Yet, less is known about their racial realities within local college communities, especially those with legacies of anti-Black violence. Drawing upon anti-Blackness as a theoretical framework, this paper examines how Black undergraduates make meaning of life off-campus in a community with a living memory of racial terrorism. Findings illustrate how anti-Blackness manifested in the off-campus experiences of participants through the following themes: (a) warnings of anti-Blackness, (b) anti-Blackness as a threat to safety, and (c) anti-Blackness as perpetual surveillance.

Author

• Alex J. Kenney, Rutgers University