Black male student leaders in predominantly white universities: Stories of power, preservation, and persistence

This qualitative ethnographic study uses narrative inquiry methodology to explore the life stories of Black male student leaders in predominantly white universities. More specifically, interviews with Black males experiencing racial battle fatigue while leading college student organizations are analyzed against participant journals and multiple observations across organizational situations. By utilizing a three-dimensional narrative inquiry approach, participant narratives make sense of life as an organizational leader experiencing racial microaggressions. Applying the qualitative method of narrative inquiry in this instance demonstrates how participants respond to the affects of cumulative racial stressors in ways that positively influence college persistence. Emergent themes were as follows: 1) reactive invisibility; and 2) responsive interest preservation. Participant stories identify the ways in which non-cognitive skill development is fundamentally racialized, requiring both personal negotiations and persistence strategies while also avoiding racist microaggressions.