Becoming While Black: Examining the Socialization Experiences and Meaning-Making Processes of Black Men Pursuing PhDs in Higher Education at Historically White Institutions

• In Event: Disrupted Belonging: Graduate Students Confront Equity and Exclusion

Abstract

This study explores the socialization experiences and meaning-making processes of four Black men pursuing PhDs in Higher Education at Historically White Institutions (HWIs). Using critical collaborative autoethnography, the participants—serving as both researchers and subjects—reflect on their academic journeys, highlighting tensions between racial authenticity and academic legitimacy. Guided by Graduate Student Socialization Theory and Community Cultural Wealth, the study reveals how participants resist dominant norms and transform doctoral socialization through cultural pride, resistance strategies, and collective support. This work contributes to educational equity by centering Black male voices and aligns with the 2026 AERA theme by unforgetting marginalized histories and envisioning transformative futures for graduate education.

Authors

• Dalvin Trevon Dunn, Texas A&M University

• Credric Freeman, Texas A&M University

• Kenuantae Storey, Texas A&M University

• Samuel A Evans, Texas A&M University