Black Student Leaders’ Race-Conscious Engagement: Contextualizing Racial Ideology in the Current Era of Resistance

Black youth of the current generation are creating new definitions of engagement that vary from the nostalgic reverence to the activism of Black student leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Because today’s student leaders are engaged in navigating predominantly White institution (PWI) norms, this research sought to contextualize the racial attitudes of Black student leaders through race-conscious engagement. While some Black students may not function under an activist label, they are nevertheless committed to social change and realize their involvement through a salient Black identity. Racial ideology survey items from the multidimensional inventory of Black identity (MIBI) which operationalizes the multidimensional model of racial identity (MMRI) were utilized directly as interview protocol items. This transformation of a model normally conceptualized through survey methodology was informed by critical race theory (CRT), which affirms the importance of the counternarratives of students of color. By creating critical discourse regarding the reasoning behind their racial attitudes and marginalization within the PWI environment, participants were able to elaborate on the influence of current social issues on their engagement efforts. Findings reveal the juxtaposition between individual and collective beliefs as students challenged dominant White norms in their representation of the Black student community.