Drawing on Internal Strengths and Creating Spaces for Growth: How Black Science Majors Navigate the Racial Climate at a Predominantly White Institution to Succeed

A participatory action research approach was used to identify the community cultural wealth Black science majors use to navigate the racial climate at a predominantly white institution (PWI). Black science students use their internal strengths to succeed in their majors, and they create spaces where they share support and resources to thrive at a PWI.

Intensive Mothering and the Unequal School-Search Burden

Expanded school-choice policies have weakened the traditional link between residence and school assignment. These policies have created new school options and new labor for families to manage and divide. Drawing on interviews with 90 mothers and 12 fathers of elementary-age children, I demonstrate that mothers across class, racial, and ethnic backgrounds absorb the labor of school decision-making. Working-class mothers emphasize self-sacrifice and search for schools that will keep their children safe. Middle-class mothers intensively research school information and seek niche school environments. Working-class and middle-class black and Latinx mothers engage in ongoing labor to monitor the racial climate within schools and to protect their children from experiences of marginalization. Partnered fathers and single primary-caregiver fathers invest less time and energy in the search for schools. These findings identify an important source of gender inequality stemming from modern educational policies and suggest new directions for research on school choice.

Campus Racial Climate, Boundary Work and the Fear and Sexualization of Black Masculinities on a Predominantly White University

This article presents data from a study of Black men and masculinities at a predominantly White university. I argue that the campus racial climate on predominantly White universities are important sites of boundary work where fear and sexualization of Black masculinities are normalized in ways that shape Black men’s social relations on college campuses. In doing so, I will share narrative data of how Black male college students perceive the campus racial climate, with a focus on how they are feared and sexualized in predominantly White spaces. I also analyze the ways in which they managed race, gender, and sexuality within school spaces, and situate their gendered performances within the context of the boundary work of the university. Attention will be given to their agency in how they respond to White fears and sexualization of Black men.

“Where I Can Breathe”: Examining the Impact of the Current Racial Climate on Black Students’ Choice to Attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities

While some in the higher education community have used anecdotal evidence to argue that Black students were attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) because of the broader racial climate due to Donald Trump’s rise as a political figure, few studies have provided empirical evidence to support this notion. Therefore, in this current study, we interviewed 80 Black students, who were engaged in the college search process in 2016 to 2018 to understand to what extent, if any, did the racial climate under Trump’s presidency influence their choice to enroll in HBCUs. Data were collected in the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 from across four diverse HBCUs. Findings indicate that the racial climate under President Trump played a salient role in participants’ selection of HBCUs. Implications for research and practice are provided for both HBCUs and PWIs.

Learning from Asian Americans: Implications for Planning

This commentary serves as an introduction for the planning academe about Asian Americans and how an understanding of their racialization can contribute to anti-racist frameworks in planning. Asian Americans are a unique group comprised of diverse communities with a long history in the country. Yet, most research about Asian Americans exists outside of mainstream planning scholarship. Asian Americans offer several insights for planning, including how to contend with intragroup and intergroup differences, how racialization upholds white supremacy, and how to document histories of activism. We end with recommendations to rethink diversity and racial climate in the field.

Promoting proactive bystander responses to racism and racial discrimination in primary schools: A mixed methods feasibility and acceptability study of the ‘Speak Out Against Racism’ program

This study examines the feasibility and acceptability of ‘Speak out against racism (SOAR)’ program to promote effective bystander responses to racism in Australian primary schools. A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design was used. Students in Years 5 and 6 (10-12 years) across six schools completed surveys pre- and post-intervention (N=645; 52% female, 6% Indigenous, 10% Middle Eastern, African, Latinx, Pacific Islander, 21% Asian, 52% Anglo/European). Quantitative data showed student prosocial skills and teacher inter-racial climate improved in intervention schools compared to comparison schools. Qualitative data highlighted teacher attitudinal and behaviour change regarding racism, and student reduced interpersonal racial discrimination, improved peer prosocial norms, commitment to anti-racism, knowledge of proactive bystander responses and confidence and self-efficacy to intervene to address racism.