This Is How We See It: A Narrative Inquiry of Highachieving Black Male Undergraduates at a Predominantly White Institution

Jamel Miller, Purdue University

Abstract

Using the epistemological lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), I collected and analyzed the counterstories of three high-achieving Black males to understand how they constructed meaning of their experiences at a Predominantly White Institution of higher education (PWI). I utilized a narrative inquiry qualitative design to learn from the participants through their storytelling. The questions addressed by this study relate to how race impacted the participants’ experiences. Following a purposeful sampling process, qualitative interviewing was used to gather the data. CRT was utilized to analyze the impact race had on these men while in college. Consequently, I identified themes that were prevalent in the stories across all three participants. The themes of this study are: (1) Black males’ desire for a greater Black presence at a PWI, (2) Black males’ realities of anti-Black scrutiny, and (3) The role of Black parents and Black Greek Lettered Organizations in contributing to Black males’ achievements in higher education. The participants’ experiences and meanings of those experiences are illustrated in their stories about Midwestern University (a pseudonym). Midwestern University was selected due to the limited amount of research illuminating the voices of high-achieving Black males within this PWI. The findings of this study provide important information to the literature such as understanding the complex and nuanced experiences of high-achieving Black males pursuing education at a PWI.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Phillion, Purdue University.

Subject Area

African American Studies|Multicultural Education|Education

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