Between the World and Us: Black Men Navigating Antiblackness at Historically White Institutions

Abstract

This article focuses on the college experiences of 19 Black men who attended historically white institutions (HWIs). Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, we explore how these students articulate, make sense of, and are confronted by antiblackness during their college years. We find and detail three specific forms of anti-Black racism that challenge their higher education endeavors, which include dislocating Black men as outsiders on campus, dismissing Black men’s intellect and abilities, and manufacturing Black men’s invisibilities. Additionally, given the barrage of anti-Black racial logics that confront Black men at HWIs, we also discuss internalizing antiblackness as a fourth finding that illuminates Black men’s struggles and dilemmas within these white educational contexts. These four frames reveal how collegiate Black men can be rendered as insignificant at HWIs, which not only negatively impacts their college experiences but also can contribute to their nonbelonging and produce additional academic and personal stressors.