College students, Black

In this narrative study, the racial socialization experiences of six Black women college students enrolled at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) will be explored. The purpose of this study is to understand the racial socialization experiences of Black women college students and how these experiences impact how they engage in private and public spaces. The following research questions will guide this study:
1. How are Black women college students racially socialized at PWIs?
2. How do Black women college students enrolled at PWIs engage in private and public spaces?
Gaps in the literature focus on how Black women in college engage in spaces where they are the minority and how these experiences impact their overall matriculation into higher education (Porter et al., 2020). Intersectionality (Collins, 2019; Crenshaw, 1989; Porter et al., 2020) were used to guide this dissertation study of how Black women college students experience racial socialization and engage in spaces at PWIs. This study is a significant contribution to the literature as one of the few studies that seek to understand the complexity of intersecting systems of society that impact the experiences and lives of Black women at PWIs. The findings of this study showed that Black women college students experience racism and microaggressions that impact the way in which they engage private and public spaces at PWIs.

College students who have experienced mental health issues are at a higher risk for suicide and suicide ideation than students who do not suffer from mental health issues. Approximately 1,100 college students die by suicide in the U.S. annually (Furr et al., 2001; Taliaferro & Muehlenkamp, 2015). Although there are research studies that seek to investigate the phenomena of suicide and suicide ideation in college students, there is a lack of research that addresses the mental health concerns in Black male college students. Thus, the purpose of this narrative study was to expand the understanding of the lived experiences of Black male students who have dealt with suicide ideation while enrolled in college. The study asked two research questions: (1) How do Black male students who have experienced suicide ideation while in college perceive the impact of their suicide ideation on their collegiate academic and social journeys? And (2) How do Black male college students utilize university resources (counseling centers, campus-affiliated clergy), family, and peers after their suicide ideation experience, and what is their perception of these resources? The research focused not on the actual experience of suicide ideation itself, but the perceived impact of suicide ideation on Black male college students’ academic and social journeys. The academic journey includes the impact on students’ grade point averages (GPAs), impact on attendance, and desire to complete academic assignments. The social journey focuses on participation in extracurricular activities and relationships with faculty, staff, and peers.