My Body Is Not an Apology: Black Critical Agency as Sense of Belonging

Abstract:In the wake of highly visible institutionalized anti-Black violence, this study examined how sense of belonging manifests among Black students at historically white colleges. The findings speak to the need to expand upon the conceptualization of sense of belonging for Black students, particularly considering the history of racial trauma in the United States. The analysis draws from a lineage of critical race and afro-pessimist discourse to make connections between the participants' experiences and the people who preceded them. Implications for practice are introduced that consider how institutions can support the critical agency of Black students.