Exploring the Experiences of Black Resident Advisors at Historically White Institutions

The resident advisor (RA) position is one of the most complex and important roles on college campuses in the United States. There are few other student staff positions that require the same level of training and have the same level of responsibilities. While these staff members serve many functions, a primary responsibility of RAs is to make their residents feel welcomed and valued in their community. Black students who take on the RA role at historically White institutions (HWIs) are charged with creating welcoming environments for students and making them feel valued in the community while often not feeling welcomed or valued themselves in these same environments due to the stereotypes and racism they encounter on their campuses. Navigating the RA role as a Black student may mean helping their residents develop their sense of belonging while simultaneously trying to find spaces where they feel they belong. This study is a qualitative phenomenological one that explored the lived experiences of Black students serving in the RA role at HWIs and where they found belonging and support in their residence life department. The study shares the stories of 10 students using interviews and photovoice. The findings of this study are broken down into five themes: (1) Motivation, (2) Isolation, (3) Stereotyping, (4) Labor, and (5) Underrepresentation. The words and images captured by the participants of the study are used to better understand these themes and the needs of Black RAs.