Black Identity and Mobility across College Racial Contexts

• In Event: 21020 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 19: Redefining Belonging and Opportunity: Race, Identity, and Educational Access Across Borders

Abstract

Earning a college degree has long been a significant driver of social mobility in the United States. For Black folks in particular, education has not only been an engine of mobility, but also a source of liberation. Prior to the civil rights movement, Black Americans seeking postsecondary schooling were largely restricted to attending historically Black colleges and universities, with only a select few accepted into traditionally white institutions. Affirmative action and other civil rights legislation passed in the late 20th century led to increases in the share of Black students at historically all-white campuses. In recent years, however, a new set of challenges has developed in the higher education landscape – such as the reversal of race-conscious college admissions, elimination of DEI policies and initiatives, and exclusion of Black topics from school curricula. Using 35 in-depth interviews with Black students at historically black and historically white institutions, this project explores how the contemporary socio-political climate is shaping the structural context of Black college experiences. This work aims to offer an examination of the state of Black education in the 21st century, including benefits and challenges for identity development and mobility pathways for Black youth.

Author

• Sagen Y Kidane, Brown University