Samuel Beasley

Afrocentric scholars argue that culturally relevant instruction matters for Black students’ achievement and personal development, but there is a paucity of empirical studies evaluating the influence of formal instruction in culturally relevant courses in postsecondary settings. The current study fills this gap by examining how participation in culturally empowering courses (CECs) impacts cultural identity development and academic outcomes among Black college students. Results revealed significant relationships between racial and ethnic identity and enrollment in CECs. Participation in CECs was also linked to more self-determined motivation behaviors. Recommendations for college and university personnel are also discussed.

In the current study gender was tested as a moderator of the relationship between religiosity and mental health among 218 black American college students. It was hypothesised that black women would be higher in religious engagement than black men, and that gender would moderate the relationship between religiosity and mental health. Contrary to hypotheses, no significant gender differences in religious

In the current study gender was tested as a moderator of the relationship between religiosity and mental health among 218 black American college students. It was hypothesised that black women would be higher in religious engagement than black men, and that gender would moderate the relationship between religiosity and mental health. Contrary to hypotheses, no significant gender differences in religious

African-centered scholars have highlighted the deleterious impact of the environment experienced by many Black students attending predominately White institutions (PWIs). While these researchers have detailed how this institutional context negatively affects Black students’ academic and social outcomes, much less information is available on how the academic identity of Black students in this setting is affected. Another unexamined area is the role that the emancipatory course content and pedagogical strategies utilized in the Africana/Black Studies discipline influences academic identity among Black learners who partake in this culturally-grounded learning experience. In this article, we detail the potential links between the emancipatory pedagogical content and teaching practices of Africana/Black Studies discipline and the academic identity outcomes in Black collegians. Additionally, we describe how this enhanced academic identity is connected to improved student-faculty interactions and subsequent academic and social engagement for this population. We conclude by providing strategies for invested stakeholders who desire to increase the recruitment, retention, satisfaction, and engagement of Black students.

Over the past three decades, the majority of Black undergraduates matriculated into predominately White institutions (PWIs), with recent data indicating only 11% of Black undergraduates are enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs; Gasman, 2013). Despite the increased enrollment of Black students in postsecondary institutions, the six-year graduation rate for Black undergraduates entering college in 2005 stands at 39.9% compared to 58.7% for all collegians (Snyder & Dillow, 2015). This demographic shift of Black students from HBCUs to PWIs has increased the focus on the needs of Black students in the tertiary pipeline, particularly those students attending PWIs.

African-centered researchers have encouraged attention to institutional factors that may contribute to the diminished academic outcomes of Black students at PWIs (Adams, 2005; Cokley, 2006). These scholars have highlighted the deleterious impact of the environment experienced by many Black students attending PWIs (Asante, 1991; Cross & Slater, 2004; Guffrida & Douthit, 2010). While these researchers have detailed how this institutional context can negatively affect Black students’ academic, intellectual, political, social, psychological and emotional outcomes (Guffrida & Douthit, 2010; Shujaa, 1994; Woodson, 1933/2000), much less information is available on how the academic identity of Black students in the predominately White institutional setting is affected. Another unexamined area is the potential role of the emancipatory course content and pedagogical strategies utilized in the Africana/Black Studies (ABS) discipline on the academic identity and development of Black learners who participate in this culturally-grounded learning experience. This manuscript seeks to address these shortcomings in the psychological and educational literatures.