Public Oral Doctoral Defense: Ashley N. Watson

Born Unveiled: The Process, Protest, and Product of Racialization Among International Black African Collegians in US Higher Education

Advisor: Christopher J. Johnstone

Location: Burton Hall Room 240 and online via Zoom

This dissertation focuses on the racialization of international Black African collegians (IBAC) and the effects it has on their racial identity development. The intercentricity of race maintains that race is a defining factor for how one is situated in US society. However, many international students do not come from communities stratified by race first. I argue that despite being raced as similar, Black US Americans (BUSA) and IBAC undergo different socialization processes and therefore, the identity formation around race for IBAC follows a different trajectory than that of BUSA. Based on the analysis of 10 interviews, four thematic clusters and 14 subthemes were identified revealing how participants made sense and meaning of their racialization. Results from this study (in conversation with others) makes a strong case for reconsidering a blanket application of Cross’ (1978) Nigrescence Model as a schema for all Black students.

*ASL/captioning available