abstract: The majority of Black D/deaf female students who enter college do not obtain college degrees; as many of them drop out of college citing irreconcilable differences with faculty, staff and peers (Barnartt, 2006; Williamson, 2007). Although, many of these inequities are being addressed in current scholarship, traditionally social scientists have analyzed issues of race, gender, class, sexuality or disability by isolating each factor and treating them as if they are independent of each other (Thornton Dill & Zambrana, 2009). This qualitative dissertation study investigates the everyday lives of Black D/deaf female students on a college campus. The study is based on data gathered during four focus group interviews with twenty-two total participants and fifteen individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews were videotaped and conducted in either spoken English or sign language depending on the preference of the participant. Interviews conducted in sign language were then interpreted to spoken English by the researcher, and subsequently transcribed. The study sought to explore identity and individual agency, microaggressions and marginality on campus, and self-determination. Analysis focused critically on the women's understanding of their intersecting identities, their perception of their college experience and their persistence in college. The data revealed a seemingly "invisible" space that women occupied either because of their deafness, race, gender or social class status. Even though the women felt that that they were able to "successfully" navigate space for themselves on their college campus, many experienced more difficulty than their peers who were White, male or hearing. The women developed strategies to negotiate being part of both the deaf and hearing worlds while on their college campus. However, they frequently felt excluded from the Black hearing culture or the White deaf culture. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Justice Studies 2012

abstract: This thesis discusses the intersection of Christian and Blues exegesis and hermeneutics in the life and lyrics of Eddie "Son" House, a Baptist and Methodist preacher and Blues singer who was born in Lyon, Mississippi. It is intended as a biographical case study that highlights and explores the complex and multifaceted relationship between Black Protestant Preaching and Blues Singing/Preaching. In doing so, it critically appropriates Religious Studies theoretical and methodological considerations, orientations, and insights--particularly those from Charles Long and Paul Ricoeur--to examine the life, artistry, ministry, and lyrics of House in light of his expressed religious orientations and dual, often conflicting roles as a Christian Minister and Blues Preacher. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Religious Studies 2013

abstract: Few studies focus on the MOVE Organization (MOVE), let alone its presences in popular media during the years prior to the MOVE-Philadelphia Conflict (1978-1985), or pre-Conflict. To date, most information about MOVE derives from Conflict research which utilizes archival materials from the Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission (MOVE Commission) hearings. Generations of dominant representations about MOVE and its members, consequently, are mainly constructed by popular media from the MOVE Commission hearings, including video broadcasts of the proceeding. Using a Conflict documentary, I highlight concerns scholars face when heavily using archival materials from MOVE Commission hearings: (a) Archival materials from MOVE Commission hearings lack active MOVE members' voices and (b) Archival materials from MOVE Commission hearings include limited pre-Conflict information about MOVE members. Influenced by Kimberly Sanders and Judson Jeffries' (2013) work about the 1985 bombing newspaper reports' favorability, this project explores pre-Conflict popular media representations of MOVE to understand how the collective first got represented to Philadelphians and the ways which MOVE used popular media to respond to these dominant portrayals. This mix-methods project utilizes 67-piece dataset materials of various popular media texts by MOVE members and non-MOVE members. It focuses on 48 Philadelphia Tribune newspaper entries as its main text dataset, with an emphasis on the 1975 "On the MOVE" editorial column space. This investigation employs a combination of Black feminist and critical discourse analysis (CDA) methods, with Sanders and Jeffries' (2013) favorability categorizations process, to explore the racialized, gendered, and classed aspects pre-Conflict representations of MOVE. Quantitative findings suggest that MOVE got generally represented in favorable manners during the pre-Conflict years, with over 50 percent of pre-Conflict texts about MOVE portraying the collective in positive tones. Additionally, qualitative findings propose that MOVE members' authorship and presence in pre-Conflict texts within the Philadelphia Tribune functioned as a site of resistance against dominant portrayal of the collective. CDA findings propose that MOVE's racial attribute, beliefs, and culture, specifically related to self-determination, were central discussions within most pre-Conflict by MOVE members. Unlike Sanders and Jeffries (2013), this project concludes that overall pre-Conflict popular media depictions portrayed MOVE as a positive Philadelphia collective. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Justice Studies 2014

<p> This qualitative study explored the perceptions of 14 African American male undergraduate students about their high school preparation for post-secondary education. This study synthesized past and present research on the experiences of African American males within the public education system and examined how school discipline and the lack of positive student-teacher relationship negatively impacts the trajectory of African American males entering into institutions of higher education. Through semi-structured interviews three salient themes emerge: (1) inconsistent support from certificated school personnel in meeting the needs of African American male high school students; (2) lack of academic preparedness for post-secondary education in high school programming; and (3) the importance of family support and role models for Black male high school students. The results from these interviews highlighted the continuous disparities African American males&rsquo; face within the K-12 system. Such barriers impede on college access and success.</p><p>

Progress Village in Tampa Florida was developed in the late 1950s in response to the dislocation of black families during the construction of Interstate-4. Furthermore this community became an opportunity for many black and more specifically, African American families, to live in a community devoid of racist attitudes and tensions rampant in inner city Tampa at the time. For over thirty years this community’s residential population was overwhelmingly (90 percent) black or African American. In the 1990s though this community would begin to experience the first wave of Latino residents and by 2000 this group would comprise over 2 percent of the population. Moreover by 2010 this community’s Latino population would soar to over 14 percent of the total population. This project is a case study of Latino migration into a small historically Black residential community. This work examines a plethora of sources ranging from newspaper articles (New York Times, Sun Sentinel, Progress Village Pioneer, etc.), scholarly articles, government data (U.S. Census), and primary research in the form of survey data and interviews from current Latino residents. All these sources are incorporated to argue that evolving federal immigration policies, shifting migration patterns, and economic factors (affordable housing and employment) all played a vital role in this recent and ongoing influx. This research adds to the existing scholarship of Latino migration in the U.S. by demonstrating how small predominantly African American communities like Progress Village are diversified by all these factors.

<p> The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to explore how African American Online doctor of management students perceived engaging support to maintain motivation throughout the dissertation writing process. The study involved collecting and analyzing data from 10 African American online doctoral students who matriculated into an online doctor of management program or had completed the dissertation writing process. Participants shared perspectives on support through narrative storytelling and answered open-ended questions that described individual perceptions of engaging support to maintain motivation during the dissertation writing process. The general research question was as follows: How do African American online doctoral of management students engage support to maintain motivation during the dissertation witting process? Four themes emerged from the findings. The four themes were faith based support, collaborative coaches versus autonomous coaches, traditional faculty support versus nontraditional support, and chair lack of encouragement versus encouragement. The major implication was support to maintain motivation in an online learning environment must include communications and socialization on an ongoing basis during the dissertation writing process. Doctor of management organizational doctoral program leaders may use this study to examine doctoral student support issues, chairs&rsquo; encouragement strategies, and the need for dissertation coaching. The conceptual framework for this qualitative narrative inquiry was Bandura&rsquo;s (1997) self-efficacy theory, Atkinson&rsquo;s (1957) expectancy value theory, and Vygotsky&rsquo;s (1978) social constructivist theory.</p><p>

<p> As the U.S. becomes more diverse, school leaders, major corporations, and areas of national defense continue to investigate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education issues. African-American female students have historically been underrepresented in STEM fields, yet educational leadership research, examining this population is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how principals support African-American female students in schools with a STEM program. </p><p> The Critical Race Theory (CRT)was used as a theoretical framework to highlight the inadequacies to support educational inequalities. The application of the CRT in this study is due to the embedded inequality practices within the educational system, that have resulted in the underrepresentation of African-American female students in STEM. To complement CRT, the transformative leadership model was also utilized to examine the emancipatory leadership practices principals utilized. These theories framed the context of this study by recognizing the need to address how support is actualized to African-American female students in STEM by their principals. </p><p> A case study approach was an appropriate method to answer the two research questions, 1) <i>How do principals feel they support African-American female students in their STEM programs?</i> and 2) <i>What practices do principals engage in that support underrepresented students in STEM?</i> This approach intended to uncover how a principal leads a multifaceted population of underrepresented students in STEM programs. Two principals of STEM schools, where more than 50% of the population were African-American, were interviewed and observed completing daily operations at community-wide events. The STEM Coordinators and a teacher were also interviewed, and test scores were examined to provide further information about the STEM program, and public records were obtained to analyze the principals&rsquo; means of communication. </p><p> I found that principals supported African-American female students by engaging the community, and exhibiting leadership practices that align with the school culture. The results of this research bring voice to principals who lead schools with thriving STEM programs with majority African American female students. Leaders that exhibit transformative leadership practices by acknowledging race, and recognizing obstacles students of color face, support negating color-blinding ideologies that could impede the progress of all students. </p><p>

<p>In U.S. school districts, African American special-education students are disciplined more heavily than other students. This case study examined how a suburban high school district in Southern California addressed disproportionality and significant disproportionality in the discipline of African American students with disabilities. The study gathered qualitative data through interviews with 28 of the district?s employees?including officials, administrators, psychologists, security officers, teachers, and classified staff?and analysis of the interviews, along with relevant documents and field notes. This research provides an overall picture of the challenges involved in overcoming disproportionality and significant disproportionality in student discipline, especially those of marginalized groups, and suggests ways to improve school programs. The study highlights the importance of taking cultural issues into account as they relate to employing effective disciplinary tactics, especially for African American special-education students. Findings indicate that district employees may not clearly understand which student population the California Department of Education (CDE) has identified as disciplined disproportionally or significantly disproportionally (African American students in general or African American special-education students) and that current practices have been inefficient in addressing the issue of significant disproportionality. The findings also demonstrate a systemic racism and favoritism of students who embody White hegemonic values and that this impact is represented in the significantly disproportional discipline of African American students with disabilities. The findings support the need for school communities to discuss the best ways to teach African American special-education students and create a targeted approach to dealing with the excessive discipline of this population rather than continuing with the current generic approach.

<p> This study examines relationships of African-American high school equivalency (HSE) students' sense of belonging to their peers, faculty, and community college environment. A sense of belonging is an important factor in understanding students&rsquo; internal and external motivations, perceptions, desires, and academic successes. For many African-American HSE students, community colleges are the pathways chosen to enhance their skills for a better education, potential income increase, and possible advancement in the workforce. A sense of belonging, socioeconomic desires, and cultural influences can promote adult learners&rsquo; return to the classroom in pursuit of a high school diploma. The purpose of this study was to examine and gain in-sight on a sense of belonging, educational attainment, and gender gaps of African-American high school equivalency female and male students&rsquo; experiences in quest of a higher education. This mixed-method research study recorded students&rsquo; shared experiences and insight in regards to a sense of belonging; as a result, the findings from this study have implications to change policy, curriculum, and program structure. The significance of this study was to make a contribution to the knowledge on African-American students&rsquo; sense of belonging with peers, faculty, and the community college environment. </p><p>

This research examines the Civil Rights Movement in Tampa, Florida through documentary film to recognize an imperfect past and visually reconstruct Central Avenue as a physical and Thirdspace site of remembrance located at an intersection of race and community. Motivated by an ethnographic approach and through community engagement, Tampa Technique: Rise, Demise, and Remembrance of Central Avenue is a 54-minute film that explores Central Avenue’s rise to prominence through segregation, its physical and symbolic demise as a racialized site of communal space, and how it is remembered through collective and public memory in the location it once occupied. Documentary film provides an engaging platform to present research in a thoughtful and provocative way to recover lost histories that can inform audiences about structural and systematic inequalities that remain in overt and covert ways. The purpose of this written document supplements the film and takes issues of privilege, reflexivity, and subjectivity into account to interrogate tensions of “self” and “other” encountered during the film’s production and to translate how a visual representation of Central Avenue developed and unfolded as a present form of community participation and intervention through remembrance. The entire documentary is not available online due to copyright restrictions. However, a three-minute documentary trailer is available on Vimeo.