Racialized fear, fatigue, pessimism, and colorblindness: hindrances to racial dialogue on fifteen Christian colleges in the US

Abstract

ABSTRACT Christian colleges have become more racially diverse, but they must contend with histories of racism and White institutional presence. We examine how racial groups differ in disengagement with race talk and how perceptions of the campus racial climate shape fear, fatigue, pessimism, and colorblindness as reasons for disengaging with race talk. Drawing on survey data of students (N = 5473) enrolled on fifteen evangelical Christian colleges, we find racial differences in reasons for disengaging race talk. Black and Asian students have greater odds of reporting fear and pessimism, while Hispanic students have lower odds of reporting fear and fatigue. Black, Hispanic, and Asian students have lower odds of reporting colorblindness compared to White students. Regardless of race, perceptions of the campus racial climate also shape hindrances to race talk. Our findings suggest that racist racial hierarchies and Whiteness are perpetuated on evangelical Christian colleges through racialized emotions in disengagement in race talk.