Mask Off: Students of Color Traumatic Experiences in
K-12 a Why Historically Black Colleges and Universities Make a Differences
Diane Courington / dcourington@bellarmine.edu
/ Faculty Advisor: Winn Wheeler
This qualitative study explored the lived
experiences of 11 participants who had four or more adverse childhood
experiences (ACEs). The theoretical frameworks guiding this study are
Culturally Responsive Teaching (Crt) (Hammond 2014; Gay 2000), Critical Race
Theory (CRT) (Crenshaw, 1988; Ansley, 1989), and Abolitionist teaching (Love,
2019). This study's data collection is based on semi-structured and
conversational interviews via Microsoft Teams with SOC who graduated from
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and had an ACEs score over
4. ACEs include one or more events such as growing up in a household with an
absence (divorce, separation, incarcerated), a parent (physical or mental)
illness or death of a parent, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, natural
disasters, or witness to a violent crime. Phenomenology was utilized to explore
the traumatic (racial) experiences of SOC in K-12 educational settings and
their subsequent experiences at an HBCU. Racism is traumatic, painful,
shameful, anger-producing, and stops the growth and success of communities and
folx (Adams, 1990; Pierce, 1995). Racial trauma has been defined as a stressful
effect or emotional pain that results from a person's experience with
discrimination and racism (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2017).
Finally, this study exploring unspoken or spoken practices at HBCU supports
Students of Color. The guiding research questions are as followed:
1. What are the lived experiences of Students of Color (SOC) who have
experienced racial trauma during their K-12 education?
2. How might attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
impact SOC with racial trauma exposure during their K-12 experiences?
Accepted for presentation at the Adjunct Faculty
Scholars Conference, April 10, 2021 and Dissertation Defense, March 15, 2021
Recipient of Provost Research Grant Award
