RACE-BASED EXPERIENCES OF BLACK COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTENDING PREDOMINATELY WHITE INSTITUTIONS _____________ A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Counselor Education Sam Houston State University _____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy _____________ by Santana R. Simple December, 2019 RACE-BASED EXPERIENCES OF BLACK COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTENDING PREDOMINATELY WHITE INSTITUTIONS by Santana R. Simple ______________ APPROVED: Richard C. Henriksen, PhD Dissertation Director Sinem Akay-Sullivan, PhD Committee Member Richard E. Watts, PhD Committee Member Stacey Edmonson, EdD Dean, College of Education DEDICATION My entire doctoral journey has been a combination of many factors that often superseded my understanding. To my Lord and Creator, thank you for giving me the desire to learn and serve others. This journey has challenged me to grow, believe, learn the meaning of commitment, and sacrifice. Your infinite wisdom and love placed all the vessels I ever needed to accomplish this task. Thank you for allowing the sixth great- granddaughter of a slave to achieve what so many have sacrificed to make possible. Momma, I miss you every day, but the life you lived, showed me that all things are possible through Christ. At 18, I felt unprepared to face the world without you; the love, guidance, grace, and wisdom you shared with us sustains me every day. Daddy, who would I be without you? You have always been right where I needed you the most pushing me. Because of your love, you helped me believe in myself when everything around me said I would not make it. Having you as my daddy helped me survive the worst of days. Thank you for never giving up on my dream. Your life lessons, hard work, and sacrifices have made this dissertation a reality. In my 34 years, I have found that everyone needs a lifelong protector and best friend. Mine just happened to come in the form of a little sister. Thank you Teche for protecting this dream of mine and letting any and every one know getting my doctorate is my goal, and it will happen. To my video editor, assignment reader, PowerPoint navigator, thank you for taking this journey with me to achieve this dream. Jarett, when you came into my life my dissertation was a distant goal, but you were always there to help me succeed, and I thank you so much! Finally, to all of my nieces and nephews you are my inspiration. Seeing the world through your eyes makes me do all that I can to iii create the opportunities for you to thrive. Jai, thank you for being my sounding board and reminding me how important it was for me to accomplish this dream. BJ, thank you for being curious and always asking questions that made me think. iv ABSTRACT Simple, Santana R., Race-Based Experiences of Black College Students Attending Predominately White Institutions. Doctor of Philosophy (Counselor Education and Supervision), December, 2019, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. The purpose of this study was to describe the raced-based experiences of Black students attending a predominately White institution. Data were collected through multiple sources, including informed consent, demographic surveys, and semi-structured interviews. The data collected in this study were analyzed using Moustakas’s (1994) Modification of the Van Kaam (1959, 1966) method for analyzing phenomenological data. The Modified Van Kaam method consists of seven steps for examining the completed transcription of the participant’s responses. Results A transcendental phenomenological approach was used in my study to explore the essence of the participants’ experiences that emerged from the audio-recorded semi- structured interview. Nine themes emerged from the data and identified the lived experiences of participants. The essence of the participant’s experiences in this study demonstrated a variety of ways Black college students were aware of their race prior to coming to college, and how each participant’s awareness of their race impacted their overall campus experience. Additionally, whether through first-hand experience, social media, or the vicarious experience of another Black student, race-based interactions were significant in altering how engaged and how safe Black college students felt while they were attending predominately White institutions. The results of this study indicated that the overall developmental process for Black college students is independent from the majority culture and must be further v explored and supported. Specifically, future research should explore impact racial microaggressions have on Black students psychologically and behaviorally on college campuses and within their campus community. KEY WORDS: Race-based experiences, Predominately White institutions, Impact of racism vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ v TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi I INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Context of the Study ............................................................................................... 2 Historical Background Information ........................................................................ 3 Birth of Black Schools in the South ........................................................................ 3 Historically Black Colleges and Universities ......................................................... 5 Morrill Act .............................................................................................................. 5 Second Morrill Act in Texas ................................................................................... 6 Plessy v. Ferguson ................................................................................................... 8 Impact of Brown v. Board of Education ................................................................. 9 College and University Desegregation ................................................................. 10 Integration in Texas .............................................................................................. 11 Student Experiences .............................................................................................. 14 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................... 15 Purpose Statement ................................................................................................. 16 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................... 17 Definition of Terms............................................................................................... 20 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................... 27 vii Research Question ................................................................................................ 31 Limitations ............................................................................................................ 31 Delimitations ......................................................................................................... 32 Assumptions .......................................................................................................... 32 Organization of the Study ..................................................................................... 33 II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................................... 34 Treatment of Enslaved People .............................................................................. 35 Fourteenth Amendment ........................................................................................ 39 Reconstruction Era and Racism ............................................................................ 40 Historically Black Colleges and Universities ....................................................... 42 Black Student Experiences ................................................................................... 47 Black College Student Racial Trauma .................................................................. 60 Suicide Prevalence and Mental Health Considerations ........................................ 61 Impact on Black Student Success and Retention .................................................. 63 Summary ............................................................................................................... 65 III METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................... 68 Research Design.................................................................................................... 68 Transcendental Phenomenology ........................................................................... 69 Participants ............................................................................................................ 73 Participant Sampling ............................................................................................. 75