Culture and Community: The Importance of Black Spaces in Community Colleges

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Supporting Low-Income and First-Generation Students (Table 4)

Abstract

California community colleges serve a large proportion of Black students, but these students are not adequately supported to reach their educational goals. I conduct a mixed-methods study including surveys (n=51) and interview (n=10) exploring how Black Identity Development (Cross, 1994) mediates how Culturally Engaging Campus Environment Model (Museus et al. 2017) supports students’ sense of belonging and trajectory toward their educational goals. I find that Black students look to connect with their campuses through aspects that affirm and support their Black identity. I provide recommendations for administrators, faculty and student affairs professionals, and students to lessen the prevalence of experience of systemic racism at community colleges

Author

• La Quirshia Fennell, Claremont Graduate University