Delegitimizing Race: The Role of Color-evasive Ideologies and HESA Professionals

Abstract

This case study examined how eight higher education and student affairs (HESA) professionals’ racial ideologies functioned in their understanding of racial conflict. Findings revealed that participants aided in delegitimizing students’ perceptions of racial conflict based on their campuses’ compositional diversity, history of racial conflict, and available diversity initiatives. HESA professionals viewed these areas through color-evasive frames that allowed them to acknowledge that racial conflict exists while simultaneously minimizing students’ experiences with racial conflict. Recommendations for HESA professionals center on reframing racial conflict to address student concerns.

Keywords

• Race
• racial conflict
• higher education
• student affairs