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Abstract
A phenomenological qualitative research methodology was used to explore how institutional agents including faculty, staff, and administrators established a sense of belonging for Black students enrolled at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). Findings revealed that safe spaces were not specifically physical environments but were instead the people and the groups of people who made up those spaces. Also, these safe spaces engaged and drew Black students because they provided five forms of care: acceptance, understanding, social, academic, and financial resources. Finally, results showed that Black students did a lot of the work to find these spaces. Four students purposely joined clubs and attended events intending to meet people, locate academic and financial resources, and maintain previously established relationships. All five participants discussed finding friends in Summer Bridge, the Multicultural Center, and clubs that catered to their interests or identities. Support to students included checking in, listening, using affirming language, offering resources, having frequent contact, and being aware of common reference points.
Keywords: Black students, sense of belonging, safe space, PWI, institutional agents
Introduction
A sense of belonging refers to a sense of connection and the feeling that one is a valued and accepted member of their community (Hausmann et al., 2007; Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Strayhorn, 2018). But, studies have shown that many Black students attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) do not have this feeling. When attending PWIs, Black students have reported lower levels of belonging and higher levels of dissatisfaction than their peers (Allen, 1992; Grier-Reed, 2010; Hunter et al., 2019; Johnson et al., 2007). Multiple studies have suggested that this lack of a sense of belonging is partially due to the negative and often racist, campus climates that Black students report experiencing at their PWIs (Carter, 2007; Grier-Reed, 2010; Harper, 2015; Solorzano et al., 2002). Black students who attend PWIs report experiencing: microaggressions, invisibility, hypervisibility, exclusion, insulting remarks from faculty and staff, and racist confrontations with peers (Allen, 1992; Carter, 2007; Harper, 2015; Strayhorn et al., 2015). These negative climate experiences have also created numerous unfavorable effects, including a decreased sense of belonging (Allen, 1992; Harper, 2015; Strayhorn, 2018), and this reduced sense of belonging is linked to lower academic achievement, higher attrition rates, and lower overall psychosocial adjustment (Allen, 1992;...