Black First-gen Collective

About

In February, 2020, the Black First-gen Collective published Black First-generation College Students Matter: A Call to Action. This document provides an intentional focus on the unique experiences of Black first-generation college students will only bring nuance to existing research and university praxis.

This page is dedicated to the incredible work led by the Black First-gen Collective and supported by the Center.

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Mission Statement

Despite the narratives and mainstream popularity of multiple notable first-generation college graduates, such as Michelle Obama, and the increased focus on first-generation college students at institutions nationally, there is little scholarship on Black first-generation college students. In fact, as of this writing, we found fewer than 10 published articles on this population since 2008.¹ In response to the dearth of information and targeted resources, the mission of the Black First-Gen Collective is to support, study and disseminate intentional research, praxis and policy that specifically explores, interrogates, unpacks and disaggregates the unique experiences of Black first-generation undergraduate and graduate or professional school students.

We intend to address this literature gap by doing the following:

Collecting qualitative and quantitative data on Black first-generation college students and the programs that support them.
Summarizing and analyzing pre-existing data on this population and the programs that support them.
Disseminating findings via reports, presentations, and journal articles.

We invite scholars, practitioners and stakeholders who are invested in the success of Black first-generation undergraduate and graduate or professional school students to join the movement. This group is open to anyone and all regardless of race or ethnicity. Feel free to include any additional sources to this evolving bibliography.

¹These include: Field, K. (2019). This Woman Goes Door to Door to Steer Students to College. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 25; Liversage, L., Naudé L. & A. (2018). Vectors of identity development during the first year: black first-generation students’ reflections, Teaching in Higher Education, 23(1), 63; Owens, D., Lacey, K., Rawls, G., & Holbert-Quince, J. A. (2011). First-generation African American male college students: Implications for career counselors. The Career Development Quarterly, 58(4), 291-300; Parks-Yancy, R. (2012). Interactions into opportunities: Career management for low-income, first-generation African American college students. Journal of College Student Development, 53(4), 510-523; Wilkins, A.C., (2014). Race, Age, and Identity Transformations in the Transition from High School to College for Black and First-generation White Men, Sociology of Education,87(3), 171-187, Jul.

Steering Committee

Selena Blair, Ed.D.

Rogers-Ingram Vice President for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Presbyterian College

Evingerlean D. Blakney, Ph.D.

Co-chair; President and CEO, Evingerlean Worldwide, Inc.

Ashley C. Bodie

Assistant Director for Exploration & Experiential Learning, Davidson College

Shakima M. Clency, Ph.D.

National Director of Campus Partnerships and Student Success, Kessler Scholars Collaborative

Bianca D. Evans, Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Recruitment and Retention, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Florida

Ciera Graham-Graves, Ph.D.

K-12 Manager, Department of Education & Early Learning, City of Seattle

Karen Jackson, Ed.D.

Associate Dean for Advising Programs, Georgia Gwinnett College

Tracie Lowe, Ph.D.

Dean of Student Success Research, Dallas College

Dekendrick G. Murray

Executive Director for Student Access & Success, North Carolina Central University

Trent Rodgers

Career and Community Leadership Coordinator, Leadership Public Schools

Tommie L. Smith

Director of Student Success and Graduate Opportunities for the BUILD and U-Rise Programs, University of Detroit Mercy

James Stukes, Ed.D

Assistant Dean of Student Success & College Access, Wofford College

James Winfield, Ed.D.

Co-chair; Associate Dean, Global Campus First-Year Experience, General Education, and Retention Strategies, Southern New Hampshire University

Resources

HBCUs Educate Webinar Series

The purpose of this series is to provide professional development intentionally designed for HBCU professionals and practitioners seeking to work at these institutions.

OnDemand

Campus Service Workers Supporting Black First-gen Students

Join this discussion, hosted by the Black First-gen Collective, about the important role that Black campus service workers play in the retention of Black first-gen students.

OnDemand

Reopening Plans Must Meet Students’ Mental Health Needs

Access to vaccines and healthcare are top priorities, but administrators must prepare to meet the mental health needs of their campuses' students.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education / April 14, 2021

Identity development of Black first-gen college women

This paper quantifies differences between first- and continuing-generation students in specific forms of cultural capital, including parental involvement, autonomy support, and how often students seek out the advice and support of their parents.

Journal of Diversity in Higher Education / October 2020

Facilitating Learning among Diverse First-Gen Students

This chapter will present practical findings from an ethnographic study of a historically Black urban Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program with a large native Spanish-speaking population.

Cervantes & Clark / November 2020

Postsecondary Strategies that Enhance Underserved Student Success

This report highlights how five colleges and universities are supporting low-income and Black students so they graduate with less debt.

St. Louis Graduates / July 2020

"Understanding the Experiences of Provisionally Admitted Black Male College Students in the State of Georgia"

The purpose of the study was to explore perceptions of first-time, full-time Black male provisionally accepted students to achieve a clear understanding of factors that contribute to their academic success.

Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs / September 2019

Black males navigating the college decision making process

A qualitative study (interpretive phenomenological analysis [IPA]) was conducted using a strengths-based perspective to understand the experiences of three first-generation black men college students attending a predominately white institution.

Journal for Multicultural Education / April 2020

Being Black and Fitting in at College

A blog about a first-generation college student experience.

Huffington Post / November 23, 2015

Black First-generation College Students Matter: A Call to Action

Black first-generation students is an under researched topic; this paper calls for intentional research that specifically explores, interrogates, unpacks as well as disaggregates the unique experiences of Black first-generation students.

The Black First-gen Collective / February 27, 2020

In Support of the Black First-generation Community

The Center would like to uplift our Black first-generation students, staff, faculty, administrators, and service workers at institutions of higher education across the nation and celebrate their tremendous contributions.

FirstGen Forward / July 20, 2020

Preparing Black First-generation Students for Grad School Success

Emphasizing the struggle of navigating bureaucracy, the authors discuss the challenge of preparing for grad school as Black first-gen students.

Antoinette Newsome, M.A. & Kurt Turnier, M.S. / September 02, 2020

Get Involved

We invite scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders who are invested in the success of Black first-generation undergraduate and graduate or professional school students to join the movement by joining our mailling list below. Please note that this group is open to anyone and all regardless of race or ethnicity.

For more information, please email us at [email protected].