“Changing the Impossible”: First-Generation College Students’ Experiences at a Historically Black College

• In Event: Exploring Black Belongingness in Postsecondary Education

Abstract

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) provide critical support and cultural affirmations for students whose identities are minoritized within education systems. This study contributes to recent efforts to understand how HBCUs institutionalize student success by exploring the experiences and perceptions of Black first-generation students (FGS) at a selective HBCU. As part of a larger qualitative case study, twelve Black FGS participated in interviews about their experiences. Findings revealed that participants felt supported by the college’s culturally affirming environment and FGS programming but sometimes felt isolated as non-legacy students and under-supported by institutional practices. Participants navigated these challenges by drawing upon cultural wealth rooted in their identities and backgrounds and sought to become engaged as change agents. Implications are discussed.

Author

• Catherine Pressimone Beckowski, Gwynedd Mercy University