Date of Award

Spring 2-22-2021

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

EdD Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Department

Education Leadership, Management and Policy

Advisor

David Reid, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Constance McCue, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Albert Galloway, Ph.D.

Keywords

Black Students, Student Membership, Catholic Schools

Abstract

This study examines the lived experiences and perceptions of Black alumni students in a predominantly White, all-male, suburban Catholic high school, particularly as they relate to a perceived culture of membership within the school. The exploration and analysis of these experiences shed light on various barriers that exist that prevent membership of Black students by marginalizing them in such a school setting. This study considers the following research questions: (1) In what ways do recent Black male alumni describe their schooling experiences in a predominantly White, all-male, suburban Catholic high school? (1a) How can a culture of school membership, if present, be understood through the counterstories of recent Black male alumni from a predominantly White, all-male, suburban Catholic high school? (2) In what ways, if any, do young Black Catholic high school alumni recommend promoting a culture of membership in a predominantly White, all-male, suburban Catholic high school?

Through a qualitative research design, the study utilized a critical narrative method to analyze semi-structured interviews with alumni students who had graduated from the school during the past six years. Four themes emerged in relation to Research Question 1: (1) a lack of White understanding of Black experiences, (2) the silence of Black students in the school, (3) the normalization of anti-blackness and the N-Word, (4) the importance of students’ backgrounds and transitions on their schooling experience. Three themes emerged in relation to Research Question 1a: (1) increased membership through involvement in school activities, (2) political discourse and school membership, (3) the barriers to assimilation for Black students to a White culture. Two major themes emerged in relation to Research Question 2: (1) the need to speak about race and culture, (2) faculty and staff diversity.

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