Exploring racial battle fatigue and interrogating white supremacy in the academy

Georges, Colvin Terrance

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115729 Copy

Description

Title

Exploring racial battle fatigue and interrogating white supremacy in the academy

Author(s)

Georges, Colvin Terrance

Issue Date

2022-04-20

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Zamani-Gallaher, Eboni M

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Zamani-Gallaher, Eboni M

Committee Member(s)

• Dyson, Anne H
• Ward Hood, Denice
• Smith, William A

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Activism
• Black Student Activist
• Critical Race Theory
• Racial Battle Fatigue
• Racial Microaggression

Abstract

This critical ethnographic single case study explored the lived experiences of Black student activists and racially/ethnically minoritized staff administrators at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign during a particular social phenomenon in November of 2015. This phenomenon was the anonymous creation of an “Illini White Student Union” Facebook page. The “Illini White Student Union” was developed in response to Black student activism and other anti-racist movements taking place on the campus. The “Illini White Student Union” Facebook page served as a mechanism for white students at the university to form a community and organize against the alleged terrorism faced by Black Lives Matter activists on campus (Salinger, 2015). To understand the physiological, psychological, and behavioral stress responses of Black student activists and racially/ethnically minoritized staff administrators, this study utilized Critical Race Theory and Racial Battle Fatigue as the conceptual framework. Participants of this study were purposefully sampled. Data was collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews with seven Black student activists and seven racially/ethnically minoritized staff administrators who responded to this social phenomenon. Furthermore, multiple artifacts were collected and analyzed. This study is most beneficial for faculty and staff administrators employed in all sectors of American higher education whose responsibility is to engage and respond to occurrences of Black student activism. This study also benefits educational policymakers invested in cultivating a sense of belonging for Black students enrolled in higher education by dismantling institutionalized systems of oppression (e.g., racism, gendered racism, and white supremacy).

Graduation Semester

2022-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2022 Colvin Georges

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