Facing sterotypes: A case study of black students on a white campus

Focus groups and selected individual interviews were conducted with 15 academically successful Black students attending a predominantly White institution. Students were asked questions about their academic, social, and racial experiences. The central theme that emerged from the data was that Black students faced stereotypes that eroded their academic sense of self.

The majority of the nation's Black college students continue to be enrolled in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) (Carter & Wilson, 1996). According to the American Council on Education (Wilds, 2000) the 6-year college graduation rate for Black students (40%), has continued to lag behind those of Asian American students (65%), and White students (58%). The literature on Black students attending PWIs revealed several barriers to students' satisfaction with college that may account for their low graduation rates at PWIs (Bennett & Okinaka, 1990).

The literature indicates that Black students at PWIs commonly viewed the campus as isolating, alienating, and hostile (Allen, 1992; Bennett & Okinaka, 1990; Fleming, 1984; Love, 1993; Smedley, Myers, & Harrell, 1993). Many Black students have found the PWI environment to be isolating because of the lack of a critical mass of Black students, faculty, and administrators. Broadly stated, critical mass occurs when students feel comfortable with the sense of connection and unity among Black peers on campus and when those students create their own social and cultural networks on campus (Allen, 1992). This connection and unity are likely to occur when campuses have successfully recruited and retained a significant number of racial and ethnic minority students. Without a critical mass Black students are less likely to participate in campus programs because the programs aren't designed with their needs in mind (Allen, 1992; Davis, 1991; Love) and even feel "inhibited from taking part in any but all-Black organizational activities" (Fleming, 1984, p. 152). In addition, the PWI environment is often counterproductive to Black students' intellectual and social growth, which negatively affects their ability to persist given the link of involvement in campus life to retention (Fleming, 1984; Gossett, Cuyjet, & Cockreil, 1996; MacKay & Kuh, 1994). Mow and Nettles (1990) found that 92% of Black students in their study identified feelings of alienation and loneliness as reasons for dropping out. Bennett and Okinaka found that as Black students persisted to graduation, "the more dissatisfied and alienated they become" (p. 50). They found that even though Black students may graduate from an institution, the isolation and alienation they face from peers and faculty leaves them dissatisfied with their college experience.

In addition to Black students perceiving the PWI campus as isolating and alienating, they commonly reported it being hostile (Fleming, 1984). Smedley et al. (1993) found that minority students, especially Black students, faced unique stresses at PWIs that contribute to their perceiving a hostile environment such as "experiences with racism, questions about their right to be on campus" (p. 435), and "perceptions of negative expectations from White peers" (p. 447). These stresses can undermine students' academic confidence as well as their academic and social integration (Fleming, 1984; Smedley et al.). Because the institution is not addressing their needs, Black students may feel abandoned and feel "rebuffed by fellow students" (Fleming, 1984, p. 152) who perceive them as intellectually inferior. In the study by Gossett et al. (1996) 56%70 of Black students perceived their White peers as believing that Blacks are not good students. Allen's (1988) and Hummel and Steele's (1996) research further demonstrates that Black students are perceived by their White peers as less capable and this leads to low academic achievement. Academic achievement is threatened because some Black students may internalize the stereotypes that White peers have about them that may affect their intellectual functioning and performance is affected. As Feagin and Sikes (1995) found, many Black students contemplated dropping out because their academic capabilities were constantly questioned.

Black students are frequently stereotyped and spend an enormous amount of time establishing their academic credibility in the classroom. The scrutiny they face about their intellectual ability is a result of numerous factors, not the least of which is the insufficient numbers of Black students who are represented in the elite group of high achievers based on standardized measures (Bell-Rose, 1998-99). In several studies, researchers have examined the gap (BellRose; The College Board, 1999; Miller, 1995) that exists between Black college students and college students with different ethnic identities. The educational playing field for Black students has been and continues to be uneven. Even Black students who are achieving and succeeding in college continue to need the support of educational programs, family, mentors, and financial assistance (Bell-Rose; Fries-Britt, 1998; Hrabowski, Maton, & Greif, 1998). We know that Black students who enter PWIs with academic credentials equal to those of their White peers experience "academic deterioration" (Fleming, 1985) due to the stressors in the college environment. Academic deterioration is evident by the fact that GPAs and academic performance of Blacks often declined at PWIs (Fleming, 1985). Something is eroding their academic ability and causing stress. The proving process for some minorities may be compounded by the stresses they encounter based on their own "doubts about their own abilities, or concerns that faculty and peers may question their legitimacy as college students" (Smedley et al., 1993, p. 447). Certainly having to prove intellectual ability over time erodes students' intellectual confidence and academic performance.