Black-inclusive campus spaces are essential for Black students to achieve academic success

by Fikir Getaneh Haile, Queen’s University in Ontario and Beverly-Jean Daniel, Toronto Metropolitan University

In November 2021, several universities and colleges in Canada signed the Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education in Scarborough.

In this way, universities and colleges committed to promoting the development of the black community in their classrooms and on campuses.

In the context of these urgent goals, it is important to recognize the importance of Black-affirming social spaces and understand the role they play in Black students’ well-being and academic success.

Black-affirming academic spaces are designed specifically for Black students and have an explicit focus on academic success. These spaces also provide opportunities for developing psychosocial skills and opportunities to explore racial counternarratives.

Therefore, Black-affirming social spaces offer Black students a physical space to develop a positive Black identity that is necessary for academic success.

Countering racism against Black people

The prevalence of racism—particularly anti-Black racism—in higher education is well documented in a variety of contexts.

Research shows that in the United States and the United Kingdom, black students are victims of both covert and overt forms of racism in post-secondary education.

Research conducted in the US has also shown that in the context of widespread anti-black racism, dedicated black community spaces support the integration and well-being of black students.

A similar trend is emerging in Canada. In recent years, for example, the University of British Columbia, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Acadia University have opened spaces for black students.

Now the students’ voices

In line with some universities’ commitments to open or maintain Black community spaces, my colleagues and I conducted a study in 2023. We are currently finalizing data analysis in preparation for publication.

The study was led by Beverly-Jean Daniel, one of the paper’s authors and an associate professor in the School of Child and Youth Care at Toronto Metropolitan University.

The purpose of the study was to document the experiences of Black students in Canadian post-secondary institutions and to assess the formal and informal resources that Black post-secondary students draw on.

Between December 2022 and March 2023, researchers interviewed more than two dozen Black college, university, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students in Ontario to determine what supports Black students use to navigate higher education institutions.

Students came from seven universities and colleges across Ontario and represented a variety of backgrounds.

While some participants had access to permanent, dedicated Black academic spaces, others discussed their experiences with virtual or pop-up Black spaces on campus.

Peer-to-peer support

A master’s student described Black community spaces as spaces that “create Black lives… (an) environment in which Black people can succeed.”

Participants shared that academic spaces that promote Blackness serve as hubs of peer support, which research shows promotes academic success.

Participants noted that Black students from different programs and disciplines offered mutual aid and support, shared resources and opportunities, and established informal mentoring relationships in these spaces. Students reported that witnessing the academic success of other Black students increased their confidence, motivation, and belief that they could excel in their fields.

Participants also shared that Black-affirming academic spaces provided them with emotional support and encouragement to persevere through difficult circumstances.

Second, students described how these spaces provided them with a place to share their experiences with anti-Black racism in higher education.

Research shows that providing a space to work through the overt and covert racism they experience is crucial to the well-being and positive development of Black youth.

Participants reported that they were able to freely and openly share their experiences of anti-Black racism without fear of judgment or rejection in these spaces. These spaces therefore serve as hubs for important conversations about race and racism in both academia and broader society.

Sharing Black Culture and History

Additionally, respondents shared that these spaces facilitated the sharing of Black culture, history, and future in a holistic way, which allowed them to develop positive Black racial identities. Through this sharing, students said they found mutual support to counteract the anti-Black messages they often receive.

Resource spaces are needed

What we learned from students in our research is consistent with previous findings and provides additional data to support calls for the creation of dedicated and resourced spaces for Black students in Canadian higher education institutions.

Scarborough Charter signatories should provide material and institutional support to cultivate designated spaces on campus that can serve as community centers. Planning for this should start now as campuses create plans for the new cohort of students in the fall.

Additionally, universities and colleges should provide financial and institutional support to strengthen Black student groups and community organizations that work to create Black community spaces.

Shared spaces for the Black community have begun to draw criticism from some commentators.

Given this, it is extremely important that institutions publicly declare and consistently demonstrate their commitment to protecting these spaces. This is central to their efforts to promote the inclusion of black students.

Together, these actions can play a key role in supporting Black community development and inclusive excellence, two overarching principles underpinning the Scarborough Charter.

Fikir Getaneh Haile, PhD student, Faculty of Political Science, Queen’s University in Ontario and Beverly-Jean Daniel, Assistant Professor, School of Child and Youth Care, Metropolitan University of Toronto

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.