The succcesses and challenges of African American student affairs administrators in predominantly white institutions in the southeastern United States

This study explored the experiences, successes, and challenges of African American student affairs administrators at six institutions within the southeastern United States. Using a purposeful sample of eight full time African American student affairs administrators from various institutions with completely different makeups concerning their student population and the number of African American student affairs administrators at each institution. The study revealed important themes that emerged from analysis of interview transcripts to explain the experiences, successes, and challenges in a predominantly White institution in the southeastern United States. Specifically, the study addresses the strategies used by the African American male student affairs administrators to survive or thrive within a space that is not created with them in mind. By exploring the day-to-day experiences of African American male student affairs administrators, this study also sought to give predominantly White institutions an opportunity to gain information on how to retain and recruit this population. The conceptual frameworks that guided this study, Critical Race Theory and Cultural Community Wealth Theory focused on the many different variables that influence, negatively and positively, the African American male student affairs administrators within predominantly White institutions in the southeastern United States. Further, the study explored the experiences, successes, and challenges of African American administrators working at a predominantly White institution as suggested from a review of literature. There are very few resources regarding this population, thus, making this study a necessity in ensuring that they are successful within their positions.