The Power to Belong: A Radical Reimagining of Black Belonging through Collins’ Domains of Power

• In Event: Reimagining, Reframing and Resisting: Exploring Racial Inequity Within Our Institutions

Abstract

What does it mean to belong, particularly in spaces that were created to exclude you? This question is particularly pertinent for Black students in higher education. However, existing quantitative belonging models often overlook how power shapes belonging, relying on race-evasive definitions and inconsistent frameworks. To address these gaps, this paper analyzes post-2016 Black belonging literature to propose a novel, multifaceted model of belonging grounded in Collins’ Domains of Power and Black Radical Reimagining. This model accounts for the layered and interconnected systems that undermine Black students’ belonging in higher education, while spotlighting the ways Black students nevertheless reimagine and demand belonging within their institutions. This belonging reconceptualization can lead to more actionable Black belonging in higher education research.

Author

• Chino Ekwueme, University of Michigan