Black Institutions Research Articles

Implementation of an HIV Prevention Intervention at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions

Black Americans and the Southern United States are disproportionately represented in the HIV epidemic. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), often located in communities that have been historically underserved, are uniquely positioned to implement HIV prevention interventions focused on Black young adults. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a qualitative study, using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) model as a guide, to identify the barriers and facilitators to implementing an HIV intervention pre- and post-implementation. Pre-implementation key informant interviews with administrators, faculty, and staff, alongside focus groups with students, highlighted several themes as potential influencers on intervention rollout. These included perceived need, campus health resources, cost, personnel availability, student priorities, HIV-related stigma, and institutional culture. Post-implementation interviews with campus liaisons further revealed themes including institutional culture, external partnerships, internal communication, student health resource accessibility, and peer educator recruitment and retention. These findings underscore the complexities of implementing public health interventions in academic settings and may guide future efforts at HBCUs and PBIs to effectively address HIV prevention.

Empowering Dance and Technology Education: 10 Vital Steps for Implementation in Underfunded Spaces within Predominantly Black Institutions

Empowering Dance and Technology Education: 10 Vital Steps for Implementation in Underfunded Spaces within Predominantly Black Institutions

Food Literacy and Mental Health Among College Students Using Campus Food Pantry Services in a Historically Black Institution in the United States

Food Literacy and Mental Health Among College Students Using Campus Food Pantry Services in a Historically Black Institution in the United States

Social Mobility and Societal Impact: Transformative Initiatives at an AACSB Accredited College of Business at a Predominantly Black Institution

Social Mobility and Societal Impact: Transformative Initiatives at an AACSB Accredited College of Business at a Predominantly Black Institution

Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Athletic Trainers in National Collegiate Athletic Association Institutions, 2008-2018: A Retrospective Study.

Athletic trainers (ATs) are the most visible members of the sports medicine team and are responsible for the health and well-being of student-athletes. However, the representation of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) ATs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions has not been studied. To quantify the representation of BIPOC ATs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member institutions. Cross-sectional study. National Collegiate Athletic Association's Demographic Database. Team athletic personnel at NCAA member institutions. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in racial and ethnic frequencies across division, calendar year, and gender. Linear regression models were calculated to examine changes in racial and ethnic distributions of head and assistant ATs over time. Most NCAA ATs were categorized as White (88%), which was reflected in both head (90.8%) and assistant (87.2%) AT positions. Black ATs made up the largest proportion of a specific racial or ethnicity group within BIPOC ATs (3.4% of head ATs, 4.6% of assistant ATs), with the next most prevalent being Hispanic (2.8% of head ATs, 3.9% of assistant ATs). Historically Black Colleges and Universities showed higher proportions of BIPOC ATs in both the head and assistant categories than non-historically Black institutions. Division I schools had the greatest AT racial or ethnicity diversity in comparison with Divisions II and III (P < .0001). In our linear regression models, we found increases in many of the racial or ethnic categories for both head and assistant ATs. We demonstrated that BIPOC ATs represented a small proportion of the ATs currently working at NCAA member institutions. Although BIPOC ATs have increased over the past 10 years, a large racial and ethnic discordance gap still exists between student-athletes and the ATs caring for them.

Contributions and Legacies of Selected Black Pioneers in Ophthalmology and Institutional Milestones

PurposeEstablishing a record of key contributions of early Black ophthalmologists can help illuminate future generations. We aimed to identify major physician pioneers in Ophthalmology, delineate their contributions, and place their ascendance in an historical context to understand the institutional and cultural barriers they overcame to achieve success. MethodsPubmed and other databases were searched, along with death notices and archeological records, using "Black," "African American," "eye surgeon," "Negro," "Journal of the National Medical Association" and other search terms. Librarians from the Library of Congress, National Institutes of Health, and key ophthalmology-training institutions were consulted, as were the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American Board of Ophthalmology. Family members and colleagues of selected deceased pioneers were interviewed. ResultsMany early pioneers emerged from historically black institutions, as Black students and practitioners were then typically excluded elsewhere. Mentorship is a key theme that emerged in the careers of many pioneers and the Black ophthalmologists they trained. ConclusionsBlack ophthalmologists have contributed tremendously to eye-care practice, education, and innovation. Efforts to recruit and train Black ophthalmologists should include highlighting the roles of Black pioneers, increasing educational and training access for underrepresented in medicine at the institutional level, and expanding pathway and mentorship programs.

Peer mentors' experiences in an online STEM peer mentoring program: “beacons of light”

PurposeRacially and ethnically minoritized (REM) women continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs and careers. Peer mentoring is one strategy that can support their participation. This study explores the experiences of Black women peer mentors in an online peer mentoring program at two historically Black institutions.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study approach was utilized to explore the impact of an online peer mentoring program on peer mentors' STEM self-efficacy, sense of community, STEM identity and intent to persist in STEM.FindingsAnalysis identified five themes relating to peer mentors' experiences in the program: (1) an “I can do this” approach: confidence and self-efficacy; (2) utility of like others; (3) “beacons of light”: intersecting and malleable identities; (4) skills development and (5) motivation and reciprocity. Further, challenges of the online relationship were shared.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the body of knowledge by demonstrating the utility of an online peer mentoring model among women mentors enrolled in STEM programs at two historically Black institutions. The findings support those who are historically marginalized in participating in and remaining in STEM.

Student Health Services at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions in the United States.

Student health services are associated with improved health outcomes and academic success, particularly among under-resourced college populations. This study compared student health services at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) and identified factors associated with the availability of comprehensive health services (CHS). We conducted a secondary analysis of 2022 data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) Directory, and the websites of HBCUs and PBIs (n=167). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were undertaken to identify institutional variables associated with providing CHS. Institutional variables included college type (public vs. private), MSI category (HBCU vs. PBI), undergraduate enrollment, location, and proportion of Pell grant recipients. Approximately 13% of HBCUs and 26% of PBIs offered no student health services; 65% of HBCUs and 39% of PBIs offered on-campus CHS with prescribing providers. Four-year HBCUs were five times more likely than 4-year PBIs to have CHS (p=0.014). Institutions with more Pell Grant recipients were less likely to offer CHS. Access to health care is an important social determinant of health, academic persistence, and achievement for college students. HBCUs were significantly more likely than PBIs to offer CHS. HBCUs are more likely than PBIs to have resources from federal funding, donors, and endowments that may support the development of student health centers and services. Increased funding for PBI health centers could improve access and promote health equity among the most vulnerable student populations.

Teaching While Black: Black Women Millennials’ Experiences of Teaching in South African Universities

The South African government continues to work tirelessly to reverse the effects of apartheid by addressing social inequalities and transforming the higher education sector by dismantling structural, cultural, institutional, and interpersonal discrimination. Black 1 1 The use of the lowercase “w” for white or whiteness in this article is the author’s stylistic act of decentering whiteness to amplify African women’s experiences. South African women have fought for the right to access education as well as to pursue higher education to the top levels of teaching in these institutions. Traditionally, the custodians of knowledge have been older white men. Millennial Black women’s presence in these spaces of higher institutions is disruptive and continues to be a site of conflict and negotiation for younger Black women academics. This article argues that race, intersecting with gender, age, and class, influences their teaching experiences in universities and how students perceive Millennial Black women in postapartheid South African universities. Intersectionality underpins this qualitative study, which explores nine Black Millennial women’s teaching experiences in universities in South Africa. The findings suggest that these women’s experiences are influenced by the kind of university in which they teach. The narratives showed how Millennial Black women lecturers at historically white institutions experience more hostility, mostly from students who share their same race and gender. This contrasts with the experiences of Millennial Black women who teach at historically Black institutions. The study has implications for university and government transformation agendas.

Differing priorities: International research collaboration trends of South African universities, 2012-2021

This study analyses international research collaboration (IRC) trends of South African public universities during the 2012-2021 period. While previous studies have explored IRC trends between South Africa and the rest of the world, there is a gap in literature when it comes to the analysis of institutional IRC trends. Using bibliometric data from Scopus, we analyse the internationally coauthored scholarly output of 24 public universities. Our focus is on the annual and overall institutional IRC trends; a comparison of IRC trends between different institutional types; and an analysis of institutional IRC trends broken down by world regions. Our findings show that the inequalities rooted in colonial and apartheid policies continue to be evident in South African higher education, and that most of the scholarly output through IRC is produced by historically white institutions (HWIs). The findings highlight that HWIs prioritise IRC with the Global North while neglecting research collaboration with the African continent and Global South. On the other hand, even though research output at historically black institutions (HBIs) is low, these institutions prioritise intra-Africa and South-South IRC. Our findings highlight the need for the government to move beyond the policy rhetoric and implement programmes that would enable HBIs to develop capacity to produce scholarly output through national and international collaboration. The government also needs to develop incentives for universities which are contributing to the expansion and strengthening of IRC within the African continent and Global South, in line with the national higher education and research priorities.

Abstract A031: Leveraging the Meharry-Vanderbilt alliance to develop a faculty affiliate program to expand cross-collaborative research

Abstract Background: Academic institutions struggle to break down research silos and boost interdisciplinary collaboration. The challenge is magnified when multiple partners seek to build research collaboratives. The Meharry-Vanderbilt-Tennessee State Cancer Partnership (MVTCP) is one of the longest-standing Comprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (U54 CPACHE) in the nation and includes faculty from 4 partner institutions, including 2 historically black institutions: Meharry Medical College (MMC), Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), Vanderbilt University, and Tennessee State University. While this partnership has been extremely productive, a 2022 MVTCP strategic planning session indicated opportunities for deeper scientific discovery and community engagement. The Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) is a 20+year collaboration between MMC and VUMC explicitly designed to advance clinical, translational and basic research focused on ending health disparities by developing and supporting mutually beneficial partnerships between academic centers and the community. A mixed-methods approach was employed to ascertain how the MVA could leverage its resources to further enhance the mission of the MVTCP. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 MVA stakeholders (2 MMC; 5 VUMC, 3 community partners) to identify opportunities to grow cross-institutional collaborations. Emerging themes were used to develop exploratory questions for faculty-centric focus groups. Focus groups with MMC and VUMC faculty were held to elicit barriers to collaboration and explore possible solutions. A faculty survey was designed and deployed among faculty from all 4 MVTCP institutions from April to December 2022. Results: Themes from semi-structured interviews included limited networking opportunities between institutions, need for greater community engagement, and lack of awareness of faculty development resources, scholarly opportunities, and research funding. Focus group participants (6 MMC; 7 VUMC) recommended solutions that included hosting networking events, newsletters to highlight research and community partners, and developing a resource repository. Faculty respondents to the survey (n=52) indicated their willingness to support cross-institutional capacity building by mentoring students (86.5%), connecting research and clinical colleagues (63.5%), and peer mentorship (57.7%). Faculty requested connections to resources and community organizations (82.7%), support for research and grant development (63.5%), and career development opportunities (50%). Conclusion: This project informed the MVA to actualize the Faculty Affiliate Program (FAP). FAP membership is open to faculty across all MVTCP institutions and has grown to over 75 members. This centralized resource hub facilitates collaborative research and fosters cross-institutional engagement. It is hoped that with support from the FAP, the MVTCP will continue to develop more robust cross-institutional collaborations and community partnerships designed to eliminate cancer disparities. Citation Format: Karen M. Winkfield, Jessica L. Jones, Virginia Fuqua-Meadows, Freneka F. Minter, Calandra G. Whitted, Alecia M. Fair. Leveraging the Meharry-Vanderbilt alliance to develop a faculty affiliate program to expand cross-collaborative research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A031.

Community and Culture: Black Women’s Recollections of Their Experiences in College Transition Programs

Abstract: College transition programs offer early access to the collegiate experience, aid in the adjustment of students transitioning to college, and facilitate positive adjustments for Black women in their early college years. Less is known about whether Black women identify these programs as having a lasting influence on their college degree programs and careers. This critical oral history study of 24 Black alumnae contemplates their recollections of how college transition programs influenced their collegiate journeys within predominantly White and historically Black institutions. The Black alumnae emphasized the long-term importance of asset-based community cultural wealth approaches in transition programs that offered a head start to college. The alumnae noted that the transition programs provided forms of navigational, aspirational, and social capital. At PWIs, transition programs emphasized academic skills and social networks. At HBCUs, transition programs offered inclusion in the familial ethos of those campuses. In both institutional types, the women enjoyed gaining confidence and access to a hidden curriculum, which they retained throughout college and into their careers and lives.

Black Men’s Experiences at Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) : A 30-Year Interpretative Meta-Synthesis

Several studies on Black men in colleges and universities focused heavily on quantitative measurements of their enrollment, retention or attrition, and graduation rates. In contrast, limited research shed light on their qualitative experiences on college/university campuses. Of those, many found that African American male students face unique challenges at predominantly white colleges, including feelings of invisibility, microaggressions, and a dearth of Black faculty. This study takes a different angle to fill the gap by studying the Black men’s experiences at PBIs and HBCUs. Utilizing a Black Male College “Choice” Framework (BMCCF), three reoccurring themes were identified to describe the experiences of Black men at both PBIs and HBCUs: family, psychological, and institutional. Overall, the study found close similarities in the Black Men’s experiences between PBIs and HBCUs. Implications for future research are also suggested.

CIAA honors trailblazers of the game

From the time she became Commissioner of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the oldest athletics conference composed of historically Black institutions, Jacqie McWilliams wanted to recognize the importance of women who’ve made an impact. The CIAA honored its Title IX Trailblazers, 50 individuals who stood out as advocates for women in sports, at the 2023 CIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Baltimore.

Impediments to Greater Diversity in the Cancer Research Workforce: Do Patterns of NCI Funding of Training and Educational Awards to Institutions With Rich Research Resources but Low Student Diversity Indicate Structural Bias?

Purpose: To examine patterns of NCI training and educational awards (T32 &amp; R25) by indicators of research capacity and student diversity. Methods: FY2019 data from the US Department of Education and NIH Exporter were used to examine student diversity and NCI funding by research capacity as defined by Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education. Results: In FY2019, the Carnegie Classification for Doctoral Universities (n = 412) included 131 “R1”_ and 135 “R2”_ research-intensive universities, and 146 other doctoral and professional universities ("DPU"_).At all Carnegie Institutions, &amp;gt;45% students were White. By Carnegie classes, compared to R2 and DPUs, R1s had the lowest proportions of African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and female students, at both college and graduate levels. Proportions of Hispanic undergraduates were similar across Carnegie classes, and generally higher than those for Hispanic graduate students, which were lowest among R1s relative to R2s and DPUs. Asian American and nonresident alien students (undergraduate and graduate) comprised higher proportions of R1 students than those at R2s and DPUs.Schools varied by Minority Serving Institution status. For instance, numbers of Hispanic Serving Institutions were similar for R1s (16), R2s (16), and DPUs (18), but 11 R2s were Predominantly Black Institutions and only one R1 was and no DPUs. In contrast, 71 R1s were Asian American Serving Institutions, far higher than the 16 R2s and 19 DPUs with that status.Of &amp;gt;2,000 “NCI R01 and equivalent awards”_ in FY2019, &amp;gt;90% were awarded to R1s, with &amp;lt;10% at R2s and &amp;lt;1% at DPUs. Patterns by Carnegie class were similar for NCI Fellowship (F), Career Development (K), and Training Program awards (T). Conclusion: Both low student diversity at research resource-rich schools and higher diversity at schools with fewer research awards may contribute to and perpetuate few individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups working in cancer research. To address this long-standing problem requires understanding how many factors and systems interact at multiple levels (e.g., individual, institutional, funding agency) to drive and block access to training and career advancement in cancer research.

Lessons from a cross-institutional online professional development pilot

PurposeTo reflect on a collaborative approach used by a group of faculty and administrators from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) and predominantly Black institution (PBI) pharmacy programs to provide high quality, multiple institution, faculty development programming in online environments. DescriptionA pilot for a shared online professional development initiative between pharmacy programs at five HBCUs and one PBI was implemented as a two-hour combined video conference and webinar, with structured networking, instructional programming, and breakout group sessions. Learning outcomes focused on increasing knowledge and awareness of mindsets in faculty and students with additional project goals of beta-testing interactive web conference formats, developing cross-institutional networking, and identifying avenues for sharing resources and expertise. Analysis/interpretationKolb's Cycle of Experiential Learning (Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation) was used to guide reflection on the joint workshop. The instructional design, delivery, and learning experiences of the program itself were analyzed using Garrison's Community of Inquiry Framework. ConclusionsAction research approaches can be applied to facilitate the continuous quality improvement cycle in multi-institution initiatives, such as joint faculty development programming. ImplicationsLessons related to cross-institutional collaboration, communities of practice development, networking, and communication can be used for future joint faculty development sessions and other shared initiatives for institutions serving minoritized students as well as other multiple institution consortiums.

“Star Maker”: George Powles, McClymonds High School, and the Youth of West Oakland

This article assesses the life and career of George Powles, a legendary White youth sport and high school coach from Oakland, California. Born in 1910, Powles guided local American Legion, Babe Ruth, and Connie Mack baseball teams to various state, regional, and national titles and coached a plethora of outstanding athletes first at McClymonds High School, a predominantly Black institution in West Oakland and then later at Skyline High School, a predominantly White institution at the crest of the Oakland foothills, who would go onto legendary careers in professional sport. Among those he coached were iconic African American athletes who realized lasting fame for both their accomplishments on the playing field and involvement in the larger civil rights movement. Included among these athletes was Bill Russell, the Hall of Fame basketball player who led the University of San Francisco to successive National Collegiate Athletic Association national titles and the Boston Celtics to multiple National Basketball Association championships; Frank Robinson, the Hall of Fame baseball player and first African American to manage a Major League baseball team; Vada Pinson, the outstanding outfielder who played multiple years of Major League baseball; and Curt Flood, the gold-glove winning outfielder who famously challenged baseball’s reserve clause. In the end, Powles was a coach who served as an important mentor of Black athletes and believed strongly in sports power to bridge racial differences and instill important values and develop character among youth from all walks of life and cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Invited Commentary: From Unacceptable to Intolerable

Invited Commentary: From Unacceptable to Intolerable

Review of “Respectable: Politics and Paradox in Making the Morehouse Man”

After generations of neglecting Du Bois as a founding figure of sociology, references to Du Bois now can seem like little more than a way to regurgitate traditional scholarship on racial inequalities with slightly different phrasing. Respectable is an exemplar of how Du Boisian scholarship should challenge assumptions across every aspect of mainstream sociology—what we study, why we study those topics, how to study those topics, and how to place oneself in relationship to the topic. Respectable, like the best of Du Bois’ work, offers a strong argument about a particular aspect of Black social life (here, the only all-men HBCU in the country) that speaks to an array of sociological topics of interest, from how rape culture is racialized to the elite co-optation of social justice for neoliberal ends to how generations of academic and political focus on a crisis of black men explains the intense policing of sexuality and gender presentation in Black institutions. As Grundy describes it, “incubating high achieving Black masculinity has become a laboratory for ideological experimentation by public and private interest groups” (190), a laboratory she helps us understand.

Double‐conscious professional self‐expression of racial minority scientists‐in‐training

SummaryDouble‐consciousness pervades the workplace experiences of minority professionals. Prior research captures various manifestations of double‐consciousness in the workplace, yet much of what we know comes from understanding the experiences of minority professionals in predominantly White workplaces. Inherent in conceptions of double‐consciousness is the sense of twoness in one's self concept that arises from seeing oneself through the eyes of both the predominantly White profession and one's own racial community. In this study, we examine contrasts as well as commonalities in experiences of double‐consciousness across different social contexts in the socialization of minority scientists‐in‐training. We draw from qualitative data collected from 64 individuals (including 39 underrepresented minority doctoral students, and 25 faculty, staff, and administrators) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) doctoral programs in both predominantly White and historically Black institutions to examine and compare the factors across different contexts that influence how minority scientists‐in‐training are able to express their emerging professional identity. Our findings reveal how minority scientists‐in‐training experience twoness as both a struggle and a strength, and we develop an inductive model of how different socializations influence the double‐conscious professional self‐expressions of minority scientists in training.