Black Students, White Property: An Exploration of Black Student Experiences and Private Historically White Institutions as Extensions of Whiteness as Property

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College Students; Private Colleges; Predominantly White Institutions; Blacks; African American Students; Student Experience; Whites; Power Structure; Advantaged; Ownership; Racial Factors; Racial Attitudes; Barriers; Racial Integration; Student Attitudes; Student Behavior

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Whiteness fits the broad historical concept of property as it represents a social and material value as well as historical legal rights (Harris, 1993). Harris (1993) traced the history of racialization as justification for which people were legally citizens with the ability of self-possession and which people were relegated as the property of citizens. Mensah and Jackson (2018) expanded on such property rights in relation to education, "Thus, any educational practices that continue to restrict or deny access for students of color, or teachers of color, can be analyzed through the lens of White property" (p. 8). As long as whiteness maintains its hierarchical value in relation to other racialized identities, it also sustains the accompanying privileges and benefits that are exclusive to whiteness and not extended to other identities (Mensah & Jackson, 2018). Institutions as extensions of Whiteness as Property are maintained through ideologies of meritocracy and individualism, undergirded by the structural load-bearing beams of racialized and socioeconomic stratification (Patel, 2015). This study explored a private higher education institution in the United States as an extension of Whiteness as Property as experienced by Black American students. By uncovering obstacles to Black student integration, this study engages variables that may inform student perceptions and experiences with racialization and private higher education. The study assessed mitigating factors and student practices that assist in interrupting the property value of whiteness in private higher education, thus increasing institutional support that communicates the value of Black students to the learning community. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

As Provided

2024

ED654210