Does a University’s Enslavement History Play a Role in Black Student–White Faculty Interactions? A Structural Equation Model

Abstract

Drawing upon Hartman’s (1997) notion of the afterlife of slavery and Critical Race Quantitative Inquiry, this study examines whether Black college students’ emotional responses to their institution’s history of slavery plays a role in contemporary interactions with white faculty. Using structural equation modeling techniques on a sample of 92 Black students from a southern U.S. institution historically involved in slavery, findings highlight the significance of background characteristics, students’ emotional responses to their institution’s slavery history, and experiences with racial microaggressions during college in predicting negative interactions with white faculty. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Keywords

• black undergraduates
• student–faculty interactions
• cross-racial experiences
• historical legacies of slavery in higher education
• Critical Race Quantitative Inquiry
• afterlife of slavery