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Belonging: interplay of race and sexuality with Black gay undergraduate male students

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Belonging: Interplay of Race and Sexuality With Black Gay Undergraduate Male Students
by
Brent M. Obleton

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
A dissertation submitted to the faculty
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Education

May 2021

© Copyright by Brent M. Obleton
All Rights Reserved

The Committee for Brent M. Obleton certifies the approval of this Dissertation

Eric Canny
Darline Robles
Tracy Tambascia

Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
2021

iv
Abstract
This phenomenological study used the gap analysis framework to evaluate the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences on the goal of creating resources and
support systems to influence the sense of belonging for Black gay undergraduate male students
(BGUMS) and their ultimate goal of persistence. The qualitative study leveraged virtual one-on-
one semi-structured interviews to glean the experiences of BGUMS who are now alumni and
how those experiences impacted their sense of belonging. The findings support a need for higher
education institutions to provide specific resources that support BGUMS’ intersecting identities
to foster a greater sense of belonging. Additionally, the findings provide greater insight into the
metacognitive, procedural, and declarative knowledge gaps that need to be addressed for
institutions to address the organizational setting and cultural model gaps. This study recommends
the establishment of mental health support, programming, and mentoring to assist in the
strengthening of the sense of belonging for BGUMS.

v
Dedication
To ALL of the Black gay/queer men who do not see themselves as enough in this world. I
see you — you are more than enough!

vi
Acknowledgements
“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be
Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me”
-Thomas Chisholm – Hymn

You have been there for every moment of my existence. The wins, the losses,
disappointments, the set-backs, and all of the unknowns! I remember as a young Black boy
thinking that something was wrong with me, that I didn’t matter, and that I was a mistake. Even
in those moments your love covered me and showered me with acceptance just the way I am.
Your correction has always been present in the midst of being hard-headed. Your grace has
covered my every move even when I was walking in darkness. This journey was filled with
every emotion possible, but the emotion that permeated and was a driving force was love. Your
love carried me when I wanted to give up! To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I say with a loud
voice…GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS!
To my parents, Mom, Pop, and Momma-C. You all have been pillars of Black excellence
that I strive to emulate each day. Your unconditional love that has always been present has been
critical to my why. You all have been my educational foundation and pushed me to be a life-long
learner. Thank you for being YOU for ME! To my siblings Keri, Ashley, and Gabriel…I hope
you are proud, I hope you are inspired, and I hope that you know that your love and
encouragement through this process was paramount in this race to the finish line. To my
grandparents I hope this is yet another fulfillment of your wildest dreams and know that your
sacrifice, hard work, wisdom, and unyielding love has been embraced and will continue for
generations to come.
vii
To my committee Dr. Robles and Dr. Tambascia, your brilliance and passion for
educational excellence was felt through every word of feedback…whether it through a class I
took with you or during my proposal defense. You are impacting lives each day and you can add
another one to the list, because you have certainly impacted mine. To my chair, Dr. Canny…you
were a pillar of calm, encouragement, you can do it, and most of all hope. You have been a
pivotal asset to my success during this journey. Your unique candor mixed with a paramount
belief in me made me better, as a person and as a scholar. I take pride in knowing that each step I
took was made through purpose and you were there every step of the way. Thank you for
everything spoken and unspoken. You all are seen and appreciated!
To my friends who I will not attempt to name, you know who you are! You all have been
my cheering section, accountability partners, and so much more. The last three years have been
filled with understanding on your part, because you knew what was in front of me! I could not
have been here without your love and support!
Finally, BCW. Thank you for seeing me in my wholeness and for what I could be. Thank
you keeping me accountable to every single goal that I have set out to accomplish. Thank you for
your unyielding care and love that has been a constant reminder that I matter. May intentionality
and reciprocity continue to be the foundation of what’s next!

viii
Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Dedication ........................................................................................................................................v
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................x
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi
Chapter One: Introduction of the Problem of Practice ....................................................................1
Organizational Context and Types .......................................................................................1
Field Performance Status .....................................................................................................2
Related Literature .................................................................................................................2
Importance of the Organizational Innovation ......................................................................4
Performance Goal ................................................................................................................4
Stakeholder Group for the Study .........................................................................................5
Purpose of the Project and Question ....................................................................................6
Methodological Framework .................................................................................................7
Definitions ............................................................................................................................7
Chapter Two: Literature Review .....................................................................................................9
Race as a Social Construct .................................................................................................10
Black Males in College ......................................................................................................12
Gay Black Males in College ..............................................................................................16
Belonging on College Campuses .......................................................................................18
Clark and Estes Gap Analysis Conceptual Framework .....................................................20
Summary ............................................................................................................................33
Chapter Three: Methodology .........................................................................................................34
Conceptual and Methodological Framework .....................................................................34
ix
Participating Stakeholders .................................................................................................36
Data Collection and Instrumentation .................................................................................37
Credibility and Trustworthiness .........................................................................................39
Ethics ..................................................................................................................................39
Chapter Four: Findings ..................................................................................................................41
Personal Identity Process and Confirmation ......................................................................44
BGUMS and Community ..................................................................................................54
Persistence of BGUMS ......................................................................................................59
Resource Availability .........................................................................................................62
Chapter Five: Recommendations ...................................................................................................70
Recommendations for Practice for KMO Influences .........................................................70
Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan ................................................................77
Summary ............................................................................................................................87
Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................................88
Recommendations for Future Research .............................................................................89
Conclusion .........................................................................................................................90
References ......................................................................................................................................91
Appendix A: Interview Protocol ..................................................................................................105
Appendix B: Email to Participants ..............................................................................................107

x
List of Tables
Table 1: Mission and goal for Field of Practice ...............................................................................5
Table 2: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Knowledge Type .............................................25
Table 3: Summary of Motivation Influences for BGUMS ............................................................29
Table 4: Summary of Organizational Influences on the organization's ability to impact belonging
for BGUMS .....................................................................................................................32
Table 5: University Type ...............................................................................................................41
Table 6: Themes and Sub-themes ..................................................................................................42
Table 7: KMO Influences and themes ...........................................................................................43
Table 8: Field of Practice Validation of Knowledge Influences ....................................................68
Table 9: Field of Practice Validation of Motivation Influences ....................................................68
Table 10: Field of Practice Validation of Organization Influences ...............................................69
Table 11: Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations .........................................71
Table 12: Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations .........................................73
Table 13: Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations ......................................75
Table 14: Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes ........................78
Table 15: Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation ...............................79
Table 16: Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors ............................................................80
Table 17: Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program ........................................83
Table 18: Components to Measure Reactions to the Program .......................................................84
Table 19: Sample Questions for End of Program Survey ..............................................................85
Table 20: Sample Questions for Post-Program Survey .................................................................86

xi
List of Figures
Figure 1: Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................35

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Chapter One: Introduction of the Problem of Practice
There is limited research available that highlights the experiences of Black gay
undergraduate male students (BGUMS) in the United States (Strayhorn & Tilman-Kelly, 2013).
The evidence highlights that only 33% of Black undergraduate male-identified students graduate
in six years, which falls at the lowest of all demographic groups in higher education (Harper &
Newman, 2016). Being a Black gay male in college may bring with it the interplay of race and
sexual identity, which highlights two salient intersecting identities. This problem is important to
address because Black gay males may face a conundrum regarding what it means to be
efficacious in a daily environment on college campuses that mirrors issues in U.S. society such
as homophobia and racism (Means & Jaeger, 2015). Furthermore, it is necessary for higher
education administrators to be at the forefront of ensuring that BGUMS feels a sense of
belonging. When intentional institutional support is not present to aid gay Black undergraduate
males in developing and affirming their understanding of race, gender, and sexuality, these men
may run the risk of not persisting throughout their collegiate tenure.
Organizational Context and Types
In 1965, under the Higher Education Act, Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs) were defined as higher education institutions founded prior to 1964 whose cardinal
principle was to provide higher education to Black Americans (Wilson, 2007). The first HBCU
established was Cheyney University in Pennsylvania on February 25, 1837. This university was
established to educate those of African descent and prepare them to enter the teaching profession
The phrase “predominately White institutions” (PWIs) references any higher education
institution where more than 50% of enrolled students identify as White.

2

Field Performance Status
The organizational performance problem that this dissertation examined is the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that inform the sense of belonging for
BGUMS at higher education institutions. Currently, there is a gap in focus regarding the lack of
resources and programming focused on intersectional identities, specifically for this
demographic, which provides a backdrop for higher education institutions to address this
problem.
Related Literature
There is a lack of research on Black gay males in higher education; however, there is
separate research on Black male college students and gay male students at colleges and
universities. According to Palmer (2014), there is an increasing number of Black male-identified
students entering higher education institutions around the nation, and there has been an influx in
academic research that focuses specifically on the challenges this group encounters. However,
BGUMS falls directly at the intersection of race and sexual orientation, and both demographic
identities bring challenges that are oftentimes overlooked. Despite various support mechanisms
for Black males in general, from summer bridge programs to cohort-specific models, there still
remains an untapped support mechanism for the Black males that identify as Black and gay.
Whitley et al. (2011) noted that research should add to discussions on the intersectionality
of social categories such as race and sexuality to support BGUMS. An intersectional approach
could assist in these efforts because, oftentimes, members of this group specifically do not see
themselves as a monolith. Duran (2019) spoke to the need for more research in this area because
campus culture around sexuality and race impact student’s sense of belonging and safety to
explore their multiple identities. Goode-Cross (2011) also concluded that those who work in
student affairs can play a larger role in Black gay men’s persistence in colleges and universities
3

if the students’ qualitative and psychological experiences have been captured by researchers.
Harris (2003) stated there is a need for the curriculum to be infused with the varied experiences
of Black gay men. The researcher uses James Baldwin as an example of a writer, who also
identifies as Black and gay, whose writings influenced the various experiences of being Black
and gay in the greater Black community. Furthermore, Ford’s (2015) study of 10 Black gay
males further highlights the ongoing need for a shift towards cultural and institutional inclusion,
understanding, and prominence of Black gay men in colleges and universities. BGUMS have
unique challenges, and as this population increases within higher education, it is important that
belonging is a pillar in their tenure.
Extensive research examined attitudes toward those who identify as gay; however, the
issue of race has not been discussed like other factors such as religion, age, political ideology,
and gender (Jenkins et al., 2009). Homophobia is a systemic problem in the U.S. but is even
more threatening within the African American/Black community (Lewis, 2003). Whitley et al.
(2011) found that Black heterosexuals’ attitudes towards the gay community are theoretically
interesting because one community embodies a marginalized attitude towards the other, even
though both are members of historically marginalized communities.
Emerging educational literature has focused on topics such as sexual identity, sexual
orientation, and the racial identity of students through the lens of White, Euro American, and has
excluded the lived experiences of Black gay males (Carter, 2013). Becoming acclimated to a
college/university for Black gay males is especially difficult due to the homophobia, racism,
masculinity constructs, and prevailing heterosexism at the institutional and cultural levels (Ford,
2015). Lambert et al. (2006) asserted that colleges and universities' remit of providing cognitive
development for students should transcend into affective measures such as tolerance and social
4

responsibility. It is important for higher education institutions to take a holistic intersectional
approach to support BGUMS to increase their sense of belonging.
Importance of the Organizational Innovation
Supporting BGUMS is becoming more of a challenge because students come to higher
education with intersecting identities they feel should be affirmed and reinforced (Strayhorn et
al., 2008). In a study of 199 queer students, Squire and Mobley (2015) found 77% said being on
a gay-friendly campus was of high importance to them. Many LGBTIQ+ centers on college
campuses serve the greater LGBT population. However, Strayhorn and Tillman-Kelly (2015)
found many Black gay males perceive these spaces to be focused solely on the White LGBTIQ+
population, thus preventing them from seeking out those resources. Supporting BGUMS in all of
their identities is an ongoing issue in higher education due to the lack of resources and research.
Harper (2012), in a study on Black male success in higher education, concluded that reframing
overall Black male achievement from a deficit model to an anti-deficit model is essential. Gates
and Kastanis (2013) highlighted that Black individuals who identify as LGBT have a 23%
college completion rate as opposed to their non-LGBT counterparts and Black gay men fall at
the bottom within this demographic. This issue of not addressing the specific difficulties of
Black gay male college students through research and intentional support on college campuses
will have higher education and ultimately post-collegiate impacts as well.
Performance Goal
Higher education institutions have the mission to create spaces where students can grow
and thrive. The researcher sought to uncover how institutions can address the lack of sense of
belonging for BGUMS. Doing so will, hopefully, increase their persistence. The intersectional
identities of BGUMS inform the possible need for departments such as culturally focused offices
and LGBTIQ+ centers to work together to best serve BGUMS’ sense of belonging.
5

Table 1
Mission and goal for Field of Practice
Mission

The mission of colleges and universities is to create a space where teaching,
learning, and research can take place, all while engaging with the surrounding
community
Performance Goal
By 2025, institutions of higher education will create specific resources to
support the belonging of Black gay male undergraduate students.

Stakeholder Group for the Study
The primary stakeholders are BGUMS. The researcher hoped to leverage the learnings
from this stakeholder group to inform how the organizational goal will be achieved. BGUMS, as
the primary stakeholders, provide an understanding of their experiences to uncover the
environment in which the organizational goal will need to be achieved. The goal for this
stakeholder group is to have access to programs and resources that support their sense of
belonging at higher education institutions by the fall of 2025.
There are many stakeholders who contribute to systemic change in support of BGUMS
finding a sense of belonging. However, it is important to highlight the need for administrators to
develop a deeper understanding of BGUMS. Furthermore, other stakeholders for the study were
the diversity and inclusion (D&I) administrators in culturally focused offices and LGBTIQ+
centers. The literature has shown the relevance of intentional institutional programs and
resources rests on co-creation between the culturally focused offices and LGBTIQ+ centers. The
goal of higher education institutions is, by the year 2025, to establish specific programming and
earmark resources in support of increasing the sense of belonging for BGUMS. By doing this,
6

the gap in performance will hopefully be closed by 2025. At the end of each year leading up to
the 2025 goal date, there will be an end-of-year analysis of what programming and resources are
being created and/or readily available for BGUMS.
Purpose of the Project and Question
There is an increasing amount of research focused on the challenges of retention and
graduation of Black males in college; however, there is a need for more research on BGUMS.
The purpose of this study was to identify how being a Black gay male in a college setting
impacts sense of belonging and what resources are needed to support sense of belonging to
persist to graduation. The paradigm of inquiry used for this study was critical race theory. As
Ladson-Billings (1999) points out, critical race theory is a framework based on legal studies to
point out that racism is normal and is inherently embedded into society, thus creating an unfair
advantage for Blacks and other minorities. Critical race theory was used as a lens to understand
how the intersectional identities of being a Black gay male in college impacts the ability to
persist and graduate.
One might infer that being a Black gay male college is to be in rebellion with the
perceived norm from a racial and sexual orientation lens (Means, 2017). Marks (2015) highlights
that in a college setting, sexual orientation is complex and controversial. A participant in
Blockett’s (2017) research stated their mere existence of being a Black gay male in college
disrupts a system of oppression that promotes White supremacy and heterosexual dominance in
college culture. When speaking to the experiences of being a Black male through data collection,
one must also consider how sexuality may play a role in how they exist within or outside the
margins of what we perceive to be important to support this population in a college setting. As
such, the question that guided this study was the following:
7

1. What are the campus influences and support systems, if any, that would help Black
gay undergraduate male students (BGUMS) feel a greater sense of belonging to
help them persist to graduation?
Methodological Framework
A central theory used in this study is critical race theory. This theory was chosen because
this study examined the historical power dynamics of the Black population and the queer
community (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Specifically, critical race theory was used to speak to
race and how race plays a role in power and access. Intersectionality was also used to speak to
many Black male support initiatives not considering identity development, often excluding
sexual orientation when looking at Black college men’s development.
Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis model was aligned to CRT, resulting in the
methodological framework used to determine what levels of performance are presently and what
they aspire to be. Knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs were assessed through
current relevant literature and the current state of the organization. Through interviews,
qualitative data were collected, and themes were gleaned to bring forward recommendations to
best support the sense of belonging and advancement of the stakeholders.
Definitions
Belonging: A sense of belonging is defined by a person being accepted, respected,
appreciated, include, and safe (Abdollahi & Noltemeyer, 2018)
BGUMS: acronym used for Black gay undergraduate male students.
Gender: a social construct assessed into two senses, one being linguistic, which speaks to
grammatical categories in specific languages, and the other being social, which refers to
masculine and feminine (Yieke & Baumangasse, 2001)
8

Intersectionality: the multiple identities one may hold. To understand people, it is
paramount to acknowledge how those salient identities intersect during their lived experiences
(Carbado et al., 2013)
Race: a “social fiction” that stems from people’s desire to think about human differences
(Andreasen, 2000)
Organization of the Study
This study consists of five chapters that provide an in-depth look at the interplay of race
and sexuality among BGUMS. This chapter highlighted specific key concepts and terminology
that are germane in understanding the interplay and the impact that it may have on persistence.
Also, the organization’s goals, mission, important stakeholders, and a gap analysis of the
problem of practice were also discussed to connect the needs. Chapter Two provides a
comprehensive look at the current literature highlighting relevant themes and concepts that speak
to the breadth of the study. Race, gender, sexuality, on-campus support, belonging, and
interventions will be discussed. Chapter Three will outline the methodology of the study as it
pertains to the participants, data collection process, analysis, and needs. Chapter Four will
provide the findings and the analysis of the results. Finally, Chapter Five will provide
recommendations for future research and tangible actions informed by the data and the relevant
research presented.
9

Chapter Two: Literature Review
Support of Black college men is at the forefront of many higher education institutions;
however, a deeper understanding of the gay Black male college student is needed. Henry et al.
(2011) determined there has been an increase in Black gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals
entering colleges and universities over the last 10 years. The researchers also found that Black
and gay individuals, as well as other ethnic minorities, face the task of integrating their two
identities of sexual orientation and race affiliation. Brooms (2018) found that support
mechanisms such as African American male initiative programs were pillars of sense of
belonging for Black college men. Finding community in meaningful ways, such as in the
aforementioned African American male initiative, allows for sharing stories that contribute to
making sense of the world. To aid in BGUMS’ successful matriculation, there is a need for more
research to inform practice for those in positions to impact belonging for this group.
Kimberlé Crenshaw introduced the concept of intersectionality, which speaks to the
multiple identities that one may hold and how it is necessary to understand people; furthermore,
we must acknowledge how those salient identities intersect during their lived experiences
(Carbado et al., 2013). The deep analysis of power has intricately tied to the concept of
intersectionality; however, one might argue that the emphasis may be on the categories of
identity versus that of structural inequalities that may exist (Cho et al., 2013). When looking at
Black gay males, it is necessary to analyze their experiences through the lens of intersectionality
and take into account categories of identity and the inequalities that may play a part in their
experiences. There has been a long-standing relevance of the linkage of various identities
through political and theoretical frameworks that inform the social relations between exploitation
and ultimately subordination (Anthias, 2014). In the context of race and sexuality, Nair (2012)
indicated that to further knowledge around intersectionality, it is important to tease out how
10

people develop and maintain their sexual identities within a matrix of other salient identities and
not in isolation. This thought is important to highlight when looking at Black gay males and their
sense of belonging experiences on college campuses. Nair (2012) also stated the lived experience
of specific race and sexuality minorities could sometimes contradict one another and how these
identities afford opportunities and challenges in hopes of positive change focused on support.
Warner and Shields (2013) stated that some within already marginalized communities are more
oppressed than others when looking through the lens of intersectionality. For example, men of
color are more disadvantaged than women of the same ethnicity. Even though this is the case, it
is critically important to look at all identities and identify differences in experiences based on
intersectionality.
The following sections will analyze race, Black sexuality, and gender as social
constructs, which are essential to exploring a sense of belonging for BGUMS. These social
constructs will provide a foundation for the literature that speaks to Black males and Black gay
males in college and the challenges that they may encounter. Next, belonging and the entities
that support creating a sense of belonging for students will also be covered. Finally, Clark and
Estes’ knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences will be explored to inform how the
goals will be achieved.
Race as a Social Construct
Andreasen (2000) stated some constructivists found race is simply a “social fiction” that
stems from people’s desire to think about human differences. Furthermore, the author also
argued that race plays a pivotal role in human social practices and cannot be separated from the
social reality of race. Morning (2007) highlights the social nature of race:
Race is commonly and popularly defined in terms of biological traits--phenotypic
differences in skin color, hair texture, and other physical attributes, often perceived as
11

surface manifestations of deeper, underlying differences in intelligence, temperament,
physical prowess, and sexuality. (p. 437)
In the context of this study, race was examined from a social constructivist lens that speaks to the
social influences of determining what attributes someone holds, which informs how they are
viewed and how they experience the world around them.
Black Sexuality as a Social Construct
Cornel West (as cited in Bowleg et al., 2017), a prolific scholar, penned that one cannot
talk about race without also speaking to sexuality, which highlights that race and racism are
inextricably tied with it. Battle and Barnes (2009) argued that homophobic, sexist, heterosexist,
and ethnocentric public policies that impact family and sex education provide frameworks for the
intersection of race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity that inform the continued
disenfranchisement of marginalized groups in the U.S. In Huey P. Newton’s essay, Carbado
(1999) found that antiracist, gay liberation, and women’s equality were all a part of a
revolutionary movement. Sexuality is a nuanced subject and becomes even more complex when
looked at from an intersectional lens. Jenkins (2012) claimed that Black male sexuality is
stereotyped by racism and sexism that emphasize hyper-masculinity, hyper-aggressiveness, and
hyper-sexuality. The author stated that masculinity is not only a social but a political construct
that is reemphasized by the media to only focus on the concept of the duality in masculinity and
that a dual male identity spectrum speaks to what it means to be a man (Jenkins, 2012). As the
literature has shown, it is important to acknowledge societal influences on how we view Black
sexuality and topics such as gender.
Gender as a Social Construct
The term “gender” can be assessed into two senses. The first is linguistic, which speaks
to grammatical categories in specific languages. The other is social, which refers to masculine
12

and feminine (Yieke & Baumangasse, 2001). Gender as a social power structure must be
disaggregated when intersectionality is present and must be given intersectional positionality
when other identities are present (Shields & Dicicco, 2011). Westbrook and Schilt (2014) spoke
to the cultural influence on the sanctity of the gender binary naturalization of a sex/gender,
sexuality system in which heterosexuality is the only natural form. By analyzing Black sexuality
and gender from an intersectional lens allows for an opportunity to understand that lived
experiences of BGUMS are nuanced.
Black Males in College
College access and success for Black male students have received much attention, and
Palmer et al. (2014) highlights that this is due to only 4.3% of total enrollment at four-year
postsecondary institutions are Black males. Frierson et al. (2009) stated that in1980, there were
approximately 1,106.8 million African Americans enrolled in colleges and universities. Among
them, only 41.9 % were Black men. In 2004, there were approximately 2,164.7 million African
Americans in colleges and universities, and only 35% of them were Black men. Statistically, the
number of Black men enrolling in colleges and universities has dropped almost 7%. This
highlights the gender gap present within the African American collegiate population. It is
important to highlight the various factors that may contribute to this gap.
Challenges for Black Males
Being a Black male in college brings many adjustments and challenges that are
oftentimes non-existent for the majority of their counterparts. Harper and Newman (2016)
conducted a study of 219 Black undergraduate men at 42 colleges and found that Black
undergraduate men have a more difficult time adjusting than any other identity-based group.
Furthermore, this research also identified factors that contribute to this challenging time,
including systematic stereotypes and academic under-preparedness. After interviewing six Black
13

males, Boyd and Mitchell (2018) stated that almost all of their participants internalized their
feelings of being stereotyped negatively, which adversely impacted their view of success.
Kim and Hargrove (2013) pointed out a widely held perception that Black men as
incapable, unintelligent, disadvantaged, and at-risk to fail at best, not keeping in mind that all of
the other identity development factors. Kim and Hargrove also found the combination of
negatively being stereotyped, lack of financial support, and home issues impede the Black male
from having a positive experience in any higher education setting, which ultimately leads to 70%
of Black men not earning a college degree within six years compared to 57% of the overall
undergraduate population. The negative perceptions of Black men coupled with dealing with
one’s sexuality in a collegiate environment can prove to be difficult.
Microaggressions Against Black Men
Black men face many obstacles to developing a sense of belonging on college campuses,
and microaggressions are a growing concept they have to face. Microaggressions can be defined
as slight or subtle snubs directed towards marginalized groups, including minorities and women,
that communicate or engender hostility (Lilienfeld, 2017). Microaggressions can manifest in
numerous ways and through various types of interactions. A microinvalidation, which is a type
of microaggression, can come in the form of deficit thinking from individuals who interface with
Black men. Deficit-thinking positions minority students in a way that assumes that their family
and they are at fault for perceived low academic performance because students (a) enter
educational spaces lacking normative cultural knowledge and skillsets and (b) family
members/parents do not value their student’s education (Hotchkins, 2016). Hotchkins (2016)
highlighted that racial microaggressions are symptomatic of the greater campus racial climate,
which is informed by the historical treatment of Black males by Whites in American educational
spaces.
14

These experiences are limiting in regard to obtaining resources and opportunities and
become even more critical as young Black adults who are trying to attain skillsets and
knowledge for social mobility are already underrepresented at institutions of higher learning in
the U.S. (Morales, 2014). Racial microaggressions are not wedded to academic classrooms alone
but also social to settings that bring with them consequences like negative racial climates and
African American students’ view of themselves in terms of self-doubt, isolation, and frustration
(Solórzano et al., 2000). Colleges and universities are microcosms of U.S. society. Locke and
Trolian (2018) stated that student affairs professionals and the institution have a responsibility to
become more aware of their biases and assumptions about student behavior to deconstruct
microaggressions and eliminate their enablement of such. Furthermore, Rollock (2012)
postulated that microaggressions are a key factor in the prevalence of privilege and power of
Whiteness in educational spaces and greater society to invalidate the existence of people of
color.
Campus Initiatives Focused on Black Men
Black male initiative programs have been developed across the U.S. to address the needs
of Black males in higher education. Barker and Avery (2012) found that many issues Black
males faced were due to hyper surveillance, stereotype threat, and gender role expressions that
informed their day-to-day experiences on college campuses. Brooms (2019) spoke to the mission
of the initiatives which included, but were not limited to identity expression, leadership
opportunities, and cultural connections. Black males’ participation in these types of programs
brought forward two significant benefits: opportunities for students to enhance their sense of
belonging and increased social-cultural capital (Brooms, 2018).
Black male initiative (BMI) programs such as Brother to Brother and Student African
American Brotherhood (SAAB) were created to address retention and sense of belonging for
15

Black male students in college. Specifically, SAAB leverages a model that addresses the specific
needs of the Black males on that campus. The six components of the SAAB model are: “ (1)
personal development, (2) service, (3) academic, (4) financial affairs, (5) spiritual-enrichment/
social, and (6) membership/public relations” (Brooms, 2018, p. 42). In a study of 40 Black
collegiate males, Brooms (2018) found themes that came to the forefront on the importance of
BMI programs: heightened self-awareness, sense of belonging, academic motivation, and
gaining access to better socio-cultural capital. Initiatives such as these can be foundational to not
only the sense of belonging but also the persistence of Black male college students.
Campus Involvement
Colleges and universities have historically been spaces for engagement inside and outside
of the classroom and have created academic, social, and service spaces for students’ holistic
development. However, Black men tend to be less engaged in the classroom, clubs,
organizations, other campus activities, and other enriching educational activities outside the
classroom ( Harper & Kuykendall, 2012). Strayhorn and DeVita (2010) found that more than
two-thirds of Black men who enter colleges and universities leave and do not obtain a degree, in
part because of their non-involvement in campus and/or lack of social integration.
Clark and Brooms (2018) found that Black male student involvement in campus
organizations, particularly ethnic-specific organizations, can contribute to their adjustment to
college by engaging in their cultural background and experiences. This engagement offers
important social connections with others who are also advocating for their communities.
Previous literature found that that out-of-class engagement amongst Black students is essential to
identity development and retention (Harper & Quaye, 2007). Many factors such as challenges,
initiatives, and campus involvement contribute to Black males’ experiences in college. It is
16

important to acknowledge these factors and create opportunities to use them to create a sense of
belonging for all Black males regardless of their intersectional identities.
Gay Black Males in College
Black males have challenges in college that negatively impact their attrition rates;
however, being a Black gay male brings another set of challenges. When looking at the literature,
quare theory conceptualized strategies for putting theory to racialized sexuality (Means, 2017).
Means (2017) conducted a study with 11 Black male-identified students and found they battle
internally to embrace their spiritual journey, which is foundational to their resilience, while
embracing their sexual orientation identity. Masculinity is a topic not often discussed or explored
among Black men in general. Patton (2011) concluded gay and bisexual men struggle with the
undertones of what it means to be a man in the Black community (heterosexual, gender norms,
taking care of the wife and children, etc.). Also, Patton found that associating with the Black race
was more important than identifying as queer because the support network was widely
Black/African American. Kinship/brotherhood among Black males is important in disrupting the
common cultural narratives of what manhood is and is not (Jackson, 2012). Furthermore, Patton
brought to the forefront that finding community/brotherhood amongst other Black men was
essential to their survival and success trajectory. Having an intentional support group of peers is
important to Black men in a college/university setting.
Microaggressions and BGUMS
Black male students face obstacles such as microaggressions; however, BGUMS have
another dimension of microaggressions in addition to being a Black male: being a member of the
LGBTIQ+ community. Multiple minority stress, which speaks to the cumulative nature of
microaggressions individuals may experience because of their racial/ethnic and sexual minority
17

identities, may render individuals more vulnerable to poor mental and physical health than their
counterparts (Balsam et al., 2011).
Colleges and universities have been unwelcoming for lesbian, bisexual, queer, and other
sexual minority students (Winberg et al., 2019. Woodford et al.’s (2015 study of 114 gay,
lesbian, and bisexual students found that 47% of the participants were recipients of a sexual
orientation microaggression, which contributed to some experiencing trauma and ultimately
experiencing psychosocial stress. Woodford et al. (2015) outlined seven sexual orientation
microaggression categories: “(1) over-sexualization, (2) homophobia, (3) heterosexist language
and terminology, (4) sinfulness, (5) assumption of abnormality, (6) denial of individual
heterosexism, and (7) endorsement of heteronormative culture and behaviors” (p. 88). Mohr and
Kendra (2011) stated that how individuals respond to these types of microaggressions can
significantly impact their interpersonal relationships and ability to deal with discrimination and
prejudice. In a study of 790 participants, Postic and Prough (2014) concluded that 21% found
that sexual orientation microaggressions, such as “that’s gay,” were not offensive. Even though
this is the case, it does not diminish the impact that microaggressions have on those who identify
as gay and reinforces that these types of microaggressions are acceptable.
Spirituality and BGUMS
In the midst of Black males attempting to navigate their collegiate experience, they seek
to aid in their journeys by developing personal mechanisms when facing roadblocks or problems.
Dancy (2010), in a study of 12 Black males, found that Black students who had higher levels of
spiritual beliefs also had higher GPAs and academic honors. Means (2017) posits that spirituality
is a significant aspect of college students’ lives, and Black gay cisgender men are uniquely
informed by spirituality given the social aspects of one’s identity in the Black and gay
community intersect at two marginalized identities.
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Per Means and Jaeger (2016), Black gay males who identify within Christian religious
spaces did not express their sexual orientation openly because they were silenced in these spaces,
or they were ostracized because they spoke to and about their sexual orientation in the context of
their religion. Black gay males in college who experience rejection and challenges in finding
belonging to express and explore their spirituality can experience spiritual struggle. This struggle
also informs their experiences in moments of challenging their beliefs, creating internal conflict
among other beliefs that could cause disorientation (Means & Jaeger, 2015). The authors also
found one participant stated there was a need to reconcile his spirituality and his sexual
orientation, which provided strength in his spiritual journey (Means & Jaeger, 2015).
Belonging on College Campuses
A sense of belonging is defined as a person being accepted, respected, appreciated,
included, and safe (Abdollahi & Noltemeyer, 2018). A sense of belonging for historically
marginalized communities has become one of the most important aspects of students’
matriculation at college and universities (Strayhorn et al., 2015). Gopalan and Brady (2020)
found that sense of belonging informs success, engagement, and overall well-being. These
authors also concluded people from historically racial minority backgrounds, inclusive of Black,
Hispanic, Native, and first-generation, report a lower sense of belonging and greater uncertainty
around their belonging (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Walton and Cohen (2007) also stated that
members of socially stigmatized groups tend to be more uncertain of their social connectedness
and more likely to question their sense of belonging. Tinto (1987, 1993, as cited in Hausmann et
al., 2007), in a longitudinal study, found that students’ pre-collegiate make-up (socioeconomic
status, high school accolades, etc.) had implications on their initial level of commitment to
completing their studies, but their persistence ultimately was informed by their integration into
the social and academic environment (Tinto, 1987, 1993, as cited in Hausmann et al., 2007).
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Acknowledging what units at a college/university have the remit to support students in specific
ways is essential to understanding how to increase students’ sense of belonging.
Cultural Centers/Offices
Patton (2006) found the purpose of cultural centers was to elevate critical identity
development for every member of a collegiate community and contribute to transforming
campus climate around belonging and inclusivity. The author stated there is a need for
multicultural and ethnic-specific cultural centers to be at the forefront of social justice work on
college campuses for them to serve as spaces to deeply analyze and scrutinize Whiteness in an
academic setting. Cultural centers' daily mission of creating spaces that exude belonging for all
students contributes to every student’s overall experience. Davenport (2013) concluded that
cultural centers foster an environment that promotes a sense of belonging, leadership
development, identity development, and a sense of mattering, which all add to what it means to
be engaged in the overall learning process. Some cultural centers were born out of the protests of
the 1960s and became a place where knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values could be freely
criticized, debated, and exchanged (McDowell & Higbee, 2014). Hypolite (2019) found that
Black cultural centers facilitate numerous developmental factors for Black students by
“ (a) serving as campus conduits for campus services that may not effectively service
Black students; (b) coordinating the process amongst Black organizations that serve the
campus Black community; (c) and also work with other peer ethnic-specific centers to
coordinate efforts.” (p.37)
In an ethnographic case study, Hypolite (2020) found that participants’ most important learnings
focused on the importance of center/office staff serving as psychosocial support, strengthening
networking ties in the Black community, and mentorship.

20

LGBTIQ+ Offices/Centers
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer/questioning + (LGBTIQ+) offices/centers
were created in response to the continued marginalization of this community on college
campuses. Fine (2012) found that the purpose of LGBTIQ+ centers was to establish a space that
provided emotional, academic, and social support to students and faculty while contributing to
overall campus inclusion efforts. Although these offices were founded on inclusion, Marine and
Nicolazzo ( 2014) highlighted gaps in the community they support. Furthermore, they found that
some pragmatic and theoretical challenges that directly impacted their ability to create a fully
inclusive environment for the entire LGBTIQ+ community, such as the perception that these
types of spaces promoted self-segregation and in-group discrimination (Marine & Nicolazzo,
2014). Formby (2017) suggested that at the LGBTIQ+ centers, the term “safety” elevated the
notion that there was an avoidance of harm, a sense of belonging, and visibility for all who
would like to use this resource. Lewis and Ericksen (2016) holding two historically
disenfranchised identities decreases opportunities for social support. Student affairs
administrators must have a deep understanding of what it means to provide support structures
that can be sensed, touched, and heard for all LGBTIQ+, regardless of their intersectional
identities (Roper & Sanlo, 2005). Creating a sense of belonging on a college campus is an
important part of university D&I administrators’ remit. The realization of sense of belonging
must be informed not only by knowledge, motivation, and organizational needs but, more
importantly, by students’ true needs.
Clark and Estes Gap Analysis Conceptual Framework
Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis model is a comprehensive framework to analyze an
organization’s performance and its stakeholders’ performance. The model examines the factors
that lead to adequate performance, which are knowledge, motivation, and organizational (KMO)
21

support. Deficiencies in these areas indicate gaps within an organization and employees’ ability
to perform at their best. All of the KMO aspects must be in play and congruent with each other if
organizational goals are to be achieved (Clark & Estes, 2008).
To appropriately address performance gaps within an organization, Clark and Estes
(2008) stated one must identify the gap areas, what is required to close them, and whether the
tools to do so are readily available to the organization. They postulated that the three causes of
performance gaps occurred in the following: people’s knowledge and skills, their motivation to
achieve goals, or in organizational culture/and or resources. Krathwohl (2002) identified four
dimensions of knowledge: factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. Alderman (2008)
defined motivation as three things: energizing or activating behavior, directing behavior, and
regulating persistence of behavior, which all influence people’s capacity to achieve goals. When
considering motivation gaps, there are motivational influences such as expectancy-value, self-
efficacy (collective and self), and goals (Alderman, 2008). Finally, organizational influences
inform stakeholder performance, including adequate access to resources, processes, facilities,
tools, organizational culture, and settings (Clark & Estes, 2008).
This study leveraged Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis to dive deeper into D&I
administrators knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences to satisfy the performance
goal of creating a sense of belonging for BGUMS, employing 100% of the strategies associated
with creating and maintaining a sense of belonging for this group 100% of the time. As
previously discussed, the first section underscored the knowledge and skills that may be needed
to meet stakeholder’s performance. Next, motivation was examined to determine whether it
impacts stakeholder’s goals. Lastly, organizational influences were assessed to see if they inform
the ability to meet stakeholder’s goals.

22

Knowledge and Skills
Clark and Estes (2008) stated there is a minimum requirement for levels of knowledge
and skills that employees need to hold to achieve business and performance goals. This
knowledge and these skills inherently equip the employee to do their best work to bring about the
organization's desired outcome. Assessing the need for knowledge and skills to be enhanced
must meet two conditions: (a) be required when people do not know how to accomplish the goal
and (b) when they anticipate that future challenges require novel problem solving (Clark and
Estes, 2008). The forthcoming section will outline employees’ knowledge and skills and their
influences.
Krathwohl (2002) identified a taxonomy with four knowledge dimensions: factual,
conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive. The factual dimension spoke to the need to know the
basic elements of a subject manner to solve the problem at hand (Krathwohl, 2002). Conceptual
knowledge highlights the interdependence of the various areas of a subject matter which, in turn,
speaks to a larger concept or schema. The procedural dimension of knowledge is the process,
techniques, or steps that one must take to accomplish the goal. Finally, metacognitive knowledge
speaks to self and the ability to identify one’s cognition (Krathwohl, 2002). Each of these
dimensions is paramount in addressing the stakeholder’s goal effectively and efficiently. The
following section will assess the knowledge dimensions more broadly.
BGUMS Need to Know the Meaning of Race, Gender, Sexuality, Community, and
Intersectionality
There is a need for BGUMS to know the meaning of race, sexuality, community, and
intersectionality, all of which represent factual knowledge. Student affairs units often operate in
silos, and institutional administrators and leaders need to employ shared meaning and
understanding to become informed educators outside of the classroom (Creamer et al., 2013). By
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doing this, students will have a better understanding of the meaning of the terms. Pope et al.
(2014) highlighted the importance of having shared meaning across the university so that
meaningful conceptualizing and subsequent actions are informed by core components of
knowledge, awareness, and skills. Discussing multicultural competence, the authors state,
One must understand that all individuals---regardless of whether they are members of
groups that are often the target of societal discrimination or microaggressions or groups
that are born with privileges based on race, class, gender, and other social identities--need
to evaluate and explore their level of multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills.
(p. 11)
A sense of belonging is a nuanced subject that requires a shared understanding of how concepts
and words inform how people navigate solving a problem.
Do BGUMS Know How to Navigate Challenges and Stereotypes on Campus?
There is a general human need for a sense of belonging (Freeman et al., 2007). Freeman
et al. (2007) further suggest interpersonal interactions with other people may encourage the
perception of a caring environment, fulfilling their need to belong, which is procedural
knowledge. Literature has shown a positive association between a student having a sense of
belonging and degree attainment, further highlighting the importance of administrators
understanding how to engage in conversation and foster students’ sense of belonging (Museus et
al., 2017). The authors stated there is a great body of literature that brings to light how negative
campus climates or sense of belonging, through prejudice, marginalization, isolation, and
discrimination, can also impact persistence. It is important for administrators to create
environments in which students interact more with faculty and administrators to develop the
skills to make connections with their peers more easily, which contributes to the overall sense of
belonging (Hoffman et al., 2002). The university climate should be informed by students' input
24

on what is needed for their success and ultimate sense of belonging. Furthermore, Johnson et al.
(2007) found that a positive socially and academically supportive environment directly impacted
by administrator involvement informed students' navigation of complex environments in their
quest of belonging at the institution. Administrators can serve as conduits of belonging for all
students, especially for historically underrepresented populations such as gay Black men.
Do BGUMS Know How to Reflect on Their Needs That Impact Their Sense of Belonging?
Ibarra and Barbulescu (2010) found it is pivotal for individuals to acknowledge their
personal life stories that inform how they see their daily work, which is metacognitive
knowledge. Life experiences can inform how biases are formed and show up when interacting
with others. Brown (2009) found that people of color have a negative relationship with racial
attitudes and perceptions that permeate society, which makes navigating professional
environments difficult, especially within marginalized communities. Being able to acknowledge
those biases enables dialogue focused on dismantling them to create a more inclusive
environment.
Table 2 presents the three knowledge influences examined and the knowledge types. The
following section will discuss the motivation influences that assist BGUMS in accomplishing the
performance goal.

25

Table 2
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Knowledge Type
Field of Practice Mission

The mission of colleges and universities is to create a space where teaching, learning, and
research can take place, all while engaging with the surrounding community
Field of Practice Performance Goal

By 2025, institutions of higher education will create specific resources to support the
belonging of Black gay male undergraduate students.
Assumed Knowledge Influences Knowledge Type
BGUMS need a shared meaning of race, gender,
sexuality, community, and intersectionality
Factual
Do BGUMS know how to inform D&I
administrators how to create a culture of belonging?
Procedural
Do BGUMS know how to self-reflect on their needs
that impact their sense of belonging?
Metacognitive

Motivational Influences
According to Elliot (2018), there was a need to move away from a typical motivation
framework and work towards framing motivation from a competence standpoint. They defined
competence motivation as the appetitive energization and direction of behavior with regard to
effectiveness, ability, sufficiency or success, and adversely (Elliot et al., 2018). Pintrich (2003)
stated that motivation has three central themes that should be examined: the scientific approach
to motivation, the utility of multidisciplinary perspectives, and use-inspired basic research.
Studies by both Elliot et al. (2018) and Pintrich (2003) underscore the need for motivation to be
scrutinized so that there are multiple ways to influence motivation to accomplish organizational
goals. Clark and Estes (2008) emphasized there were three facets of motivated performance:
26

active choice, or moving from intentionality to action; persistence, or forward progression in
spite of roadblocks; and mental effort, or working smarter and developing novel solutions.
Assumed Motivation Causes
These three factors played a role in the D&I administrator’s ability to accomplish the goal
of meeting the standards established. When individuals actively pursue a goal set by an
organization, it is important to highlight that intentionality only goes to a certain point, and
action is needed to achieve goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). There are oftentimes competing goals,
and it is necessary to prioritize the most important goals, especially if they impact marginalized
groups; therefore, persistence is important (Clark & Estes, 2008). Clark and Estes (2008) also
found that those who were overly confident nor under-confident tended to exhibit mental effort
and were more likely to accomplish the goal.
Self-Efficacy
As stated by Bandura (2000), the foundation of human motivation is self-efficacy, an
individual’s personal belief regarding their capability to achieve a task or a goal. When
evaluating self-efficacy, a person with high levels is more likely to accomplish the goal, and a
person with low levels is less likely to accomplish the goal. Pintrich (2003) asserted that the
more an individual has a sense of control of their personal learning and behavior, the more likely
they will do well and achieve at higher levels than those without a deep sense of awareness and
control. The theory of self-efficacy was used to understand D&I administrators’ motivation in
achieving their performance goals.
BGUMS Need to Believe They Can Have a Positive Impact on the Organizational
Culture in Regard to the Co-Creation of Inclusion Practices. For there to be an impact, one
must acknowledge that learning must take place before action. Schein (2017) acknowledged that
culture is deeply rooted in each person and that cross-cultural learning, in particular, must
27

confront the reality that each member of a particular culture has an assumption about what
should and should not happen for change to take place. Bandura (2000) further emphasized that
substantial and diverse literature spoke to the notion that individuals are motivated and are
guided to act based on their personal efficacy. BGUMS need to feel empowered that they can
help create an environment that will affirm who they are. Although the literature spoke to
individuals who need to act based on their own personal efficacy, it is important to also highlight
how personal efficacy is only one part of making organizational change. Jones and Harris (2014)
stated that collaboration/co-creation within an educational environment can lead to better
outcomes because of the different skill sets that are brought together to bring about intentional
and sustained impact. When BGUMS believe they have the ability to influence their sense of
belonging and they value partnership with D&I administrators, they will provide a framework for
influence and change.
Eccles (2006) posited that BGUMS who found that belonging was directly informed by
the personal connection to the work found themselves more motivated and engaged in making
sure the environment was created. Also, Eccles found that the BGUMS’ own identity
development, if connected to the work, was more likely to lead to active roles in the task of
belonging. Cuyjet and Duncan (2013) stated that BGUMS should consider how their cultural
background has impacted their personal views and values. The values and views should
encourage BGUMS to take active roles in encouraging other students alike to take inventory of
how their cultural background influences how their sense of belonging is experienced daily.
Furthermore, Pope et al. (2014) raised that it is pivotal for administrators to facilitate and
enhance students’ ability to learn in curricular and co-curricular settings, both of which impact a
sense of belonging.
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BGUMS Need to Believe They Can Persist Through College. To feel a sense of
belonging on college campuses, BGUMS need to believe they can have informed conversations
on what their needs are for them to persist. Usher and Pajares (2008) shared that administrators
can not only rest on the fact that they have self-efficacy as a tool to have these conversations, as
they must also believe that they can leverage this in an impactful and effective way. Johnson
(2013) found that administrators needed to understand how to facilitate a college student’s sense
of belonging if they hoped to inform students’ persistence, success, and other learning and
development outcomes. Zumbrunn et al. (2014) highlighted that discussing both academic and
social aspects of a college student's day-to-day life can speak to their sense of belonging and may
also have a positive impact on their motivation and persistence.
Expectancy-Value Theory
Expectancy-value theory, as described by Wigfield and Cambria (2010), looks at how
expectancies, values, and determinants inform persistence, performance, and choice. Eccles
(2006) found that expectancy-value theory, in its simplest form, is the motivation an individual
has to complete a goal/task if they believe they can complete it and the attributed value that
individual puts on completing it. The four concepts in expectancy-value theory are cost,
attainment value, intrinsic value, and utility value (Eccles, 2006). Eccles characterized cost as
time, energy, and the perceived psychological cost associated with the task. Attainment value
looks at an individual’s preferences and personal identity and how related they are to the task
(Eccles, 2006; Pintrich, 2003). Intrinsic value highlights the personal connection/meaning that an
individual has toward completing the task (Eccles, 2006). Finally, the utility value is connected
to the individual's goals and how aligned they are to each other. Table 3 shows the assumed
motivational influences that leverage self-efficacy and expectancy-value as a framework to aid in
increasing sense of belonging for BGUMS at higher education institutions.
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Table 3
Summary of Motivation Influences for BGUMS
Field of Practice Mission

The mission of colleges and universities is to create a space where teaching, learning, and
research can take place, all while engaging with the surrounding community
Field of Practice Performance Goal

By 2025, institutions of higher education will create specific resources to support the
belonging of Black gay male undergraduate students.
Assumed Motivation Influences Motivational Type
BGUMS need to believe they can have a
positive impact on the organizational culture
in regard to the co-creation of inclusion
practices
Self-Efficacy
BGUMS need to believe they can persist
through college
Self-Efficacy
BGUMS need to believe they can be active
participants in the work of belonging
Expectancy-Value

Organizational Influences
Clark and Estes (2008) highlighted that when people had extensive motivation and a deep
breadth of knowledge and skills, missing or inadequate processes and resources aided in
preventing performance goals. They reported that organizational aspects, including the lack of
efficient and impactful organizational work processes and material resources, rounded out the
causes of performance within an organization. Clark and Estes spoke about work processes in
their research, specifically calling out the necessity for specialized knowledge, skills, and
motivation for the organizational goals to be achieved by a system of interacting processes. The
interdependent work processes bring staff members’ ability to work together to align with
30

organizational needs. Material resources must be tangible if an organization wants to achieve its
outlined goals (Clark & Estes, 2008). The authors also found that, leveraging analysis of what
the organizational culture is, one could find that it filters and affects all attempts to positively
impact performance and improve performance metrics.
Organizational Culture
Schein (2017) stated that organizational culture is a system of behavioral norms, values,
and beliefs that have the ability to evolve and develop over time to develop. Clark and Estes
(2008) underscored three common types of standing cultures in organizations: culture in the
environment, culture in groups, and culture in individuals (Clark & Estes, 2008). Each type can
impact goal achievement and staff performance (Clark & Estes, 2008). Erez and Gati (2004)
found that the sociopolitical context promotes interaction among different cultures so that
individuals adapt to cultures other than their own. The authors found that acculturation depends
on the importance of one’s own culture and the level at which the other culture is more attractive
(Erez & Gati, 2004). Erez and Gati (2004) also noted that this type of acculturation led to
integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization. It is important to highlight that, within
this model, the employee has to make a decision no matter what impact it has on organizational
goals and outcomes.
Organizational Cultural Model
Belonging is a growing concept at institutions of higher learning and is becoming a focal
point of the student’s experience, which impacts in- and out-of-classroom experiences. Within
this concept of belonging lies the understanding that all students enter higher education
institutions with various life experiences and cultural affiliations (Sulé, 2016). Therefore, these
life experiences and cultural affiliations inform perceptions of their campus experience of
locating places in which they matter (Sulé, 2006). Within this space of belonging, culture is an
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important aspect of ethnographic observation, as it lends itself to glean a deep understanding of
the macro-level and the micro-level cultures (Schein, 2017).
The influence regarding the organizational cultural model examined here was that the
organization needs to have a shared understanding of the expectations between BGUMS and
D&I administrators. Finding cohesiveness in expectations between BGUMS and D&I
administrators can be a pivotal aspect of increasing students’ sense of belonging. Belonging in an
organizational context is a nuanced subject that calls for a specific and research-informed
modality. Ardoin and Magolda (2014) spoke to this expectation by stating that reading and
keeping up with relevant research in higher education is important in developing benchmarks
around certain subjects. Barr and Barr (2014) found that senior leaders at higher education
institutions expected that D&I administrators had a special responsibility to intervene for
students and be a voice for those who may think they do not have one in certain spaces. Clark
and Estes (2008) stated that commitment, clear vision, and transparency in communication is a
critical success factor within change management involving senior leadership and D&I
administrators
Organizational Cultural Settings
Gallimore and Goldenberg (2001) defined cultural settings as when two or more people
come together to accomplish a goal. The researchers also highlighted that collaboration amongst
groups with similar goals is important in an educational organizational context. The influence
pertaining to cultural settings examined in this study was that the organization needs to provide
resources to BGUMS to create an effective sense of belonging for them. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
has been credited with coining the phrase “Budgets are moral documents.” Barr and McClellan
(2018) found this to be true in that institutional budgets are influenced by people, politics,
outside publicity, and other problematic areas, especially when something has come to the
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forefront of the institution’s external reputation. The sufficient allocation of resources is essential
to spaces that support students’ belonging. Organizations’ strategic planning must include these
spaces as priorities to influence students' experiences. Table 4 shows the assumed organizational
influences and organizational needs that may impact D&I administrators and offices’ ability to
impact the sense of belonging for BGUMS.

Table 4
Summary of Organizational Influences on the organization's ability to impact belonging for
BGUMS
Field of Practice Mission

The mission of colleges and universities is to create a space where teaching, learning, and
research can take place, all while engaging with the surrounding community.
Field or Field of Practice
By 2025, institutions of higher education will create specific resources to support the
belonging of Black gay male undergraduate students.
Assumed Organizational Influences Organizational Influence Type
The field of practice needs to value a shared
understanding of the expectations between
BGUMS and D&I administrators.
Cultural model
The field of practice needs to provide
resources to BGUMS to create an effective
sense of belonging.
Cultural Setting

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Summary
The purpose of this study was to identify how being a Black gay male in a college setting
impacts sense of belonging and what resources are needed to support sense of belonging to
persist to graduation. Chapter Two focused on the influences and factors that researchers found
relevant to D&I administrators’ duty to create a sense of belonging. The chapter was divided into
four sections highlighting the gap analysis model/framework, knowledge influences, motivation
influences, and organizational influences. The literature revealed that belonging is essential to
the collegiate experience in and out of the classroom. The next chapter will discuss this study’s
methodology, inclusive of research questions and research design.

34

Chapter Three: Methodology
The purpose of this study was to identify how being a Black gay male in a college setting
impacts sense of belonging and what resources are needed to support sense of belonging to
persist to graduation. Also, evaluation of the knowledge and motivation of BGUMS; as well as
the organizational influences will inform institutions’ ability to create a sense of belonging for
BGUMS. The following sections discuss the research design, data analysis methods, and data
collection processes. In addition, the chapter will also include a conceptual framework leveraged
to show the relationship between the research question and the methodological framework. As
such, the research question that framed this study asked,
1. What are the campus influences and support systems, if any, that would help Black gay
undergraduate male students (BGUMS) feel a greater sense of belonging to help them
persist to graduation?
Conceptual and Methodological Framework
The conceptual framework (Figure 1) outlines the stakeholders' interdependence and the
knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences that contribute to the goals. In this study,
the stakeholders are the D&I administrators and BGUMS, and their interdependence is shown by
the overlapping circles. Both stakeholder groups have opportunities to contribute to the
organization’s goal. BGUMS needed to address the knowledge (factual, procedural,
metacognitive) and motivational (self-efficacy, expectancy-value) factors that inform how they
view their sense of belonging and how they can influence the work of D&I administrators. The
D&I administrators’ potential influence on BGUMS’ sense of belonging is shown by the arrow
that leads to the sense of belonging circle. This influence created an opportunity for D&I
administrators to move towards the goal of creating resources and programs for BGUMS, thus
impacting their sense of belonging.
35

Figure 1
Conceptual Framework

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Participating Stakeholders
As identified in Chapter One, the stakeholders were self-identified Black gay male
alumni from the following institutions: Khufu University, Sanaga University, Benue University,
Osun University, Khafre University, and Menkaure University. It was important that the
participants self-identified due to the sensitivity of their identities. I aimed to identify a small
group of participants to capture the qualitative data to contribute to the recommendations for the
stakeholder group. Interviews captured the qualitative data. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) define
interviews as the process in which a researcher and participants engage in conversation to answer
questions regarding a study.
Interview Sampling Criteria and Rationale
Criterion 1: Race
A student who identifies as Black as their salient identity. This research focused on the
Black students’ unique experiences at the institution.
Criterion 2. Gender
Identifies as a male student. This selection criterion speaks to the social construct that has
built the notion of gender. Being able to speak to the intersections of race and gender is vital to
the learnings of this study.
Criterion 3. Sexual Orientation
Identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The sampling criteria allow the
researcher to identify important experiences of gay students and how those experiences show up
in their personal identity construct and their quest to find belonging in the interplay of those
identities.

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Criterion 4. Alumni Status
Identifies as having graduated from a four-year college/university within the last four
years.
Interview and/or Focus Group Sampling (Recruitment) Strategy and Rationale
The small group of eight BGUMS came from the five aforementioned institutions and
were selected to uncover experiences and themes to inform the strategies that D&I administrators
can leverage to create a sense of belonging for this group of students. Even though the sample
size was small, the qualitative data gathered may assist the stakeholders in becoming more aware
of the knowledge, motivational, and organizational factors that inform how the institution
promotes a sense of belonging.
The researcher leveraged purposeful sampling to select participants, as Merriam and
Tisdell (2016) stated that this is the most appropriate method to discover, understand, and gain
insights into what is being studied. The authors also found that an essential component of
purposeful sampling is the emphasis on information-rich or understanding of the central
importance of the purpose of the inquiry
The researcher leveraged network sampling as a form of purposeful sampling to recruit
the participants. Merriam and Tisdell (2016) describe network sampling as a strategy that
involves locating participants that fit the criterion established for the study, and as the researcher
interviews a few participants, the researcher asks them to refer other potential participants. I used
listservs dedicated to the Black student population at different institutions to recruit participants.
Also, I hoped that participants would encourage others to participate.
Data Collection and Instrumentation
Creswell and Creswell (2018) describe qualitative research as an approach to explore and
understand the meaning individuals make regarding human problems and how they inform
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analysis of such. I used qualitative inquiry to engage participants in meaningful conversations to
understand the nuances of BGUMS’ identities and how they inform their sense of belonging.
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) note the importance of meaningful engagements by stating that
qualitative research involves the process of gaining a deep understanding of the participant’s
experiences not to predict the future, rather understand the nature of their setting, what their lives
are like and how they experience the world around them.
The researcher conducted eight virtual interviews using an online tool that enabled the
participant and the researcher to have real-time interactions. A semi-structured interview
approach was used in this study. The semi-structured approach, as described by Merriam and
Tisdell (2016), involves the use of a mix of interview question types, flexibility in the use of
questions, the collection of specific data gathered, a large portion of interview guided by a list of
questions, and no predetermined wording or order.
This study focused on collecting lived experiences that inform how BGUMS experience
belonging in a college setting. This method aligns with the purpose of this study by allowing
participants to openly discuss how their identities informed their sense of belonging. This study
used a phenomenological strategy for studying how BGUMS navigated their daily lives.
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) described phenomenology as the study of people’s experiences of
the world around them, which includes day-to-day activities and social interactions. The authors
also highlighted that it is important for the researcher to acknowledge their direct experience
with the phenomenon studied to explore their biases, prejudices, and assumptions.
It is important to elevate participants’ lived experiences so that the researcher can extract
concepts and themes that may inform the best ways to support this group. This strategy enabled
the data to inform what is going on presently in the participants’ lives, and using this strategy
helped ground the validity of this study. I leveraged the relationships built with participants
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during the interviews to prevent them from dropping out during the study. I used the Zoom
platform to conduct the interviews virtually. Proper security protocols were leveraged, such as
securing the interview recordings on a secure password-protected server. Once the study
concluded, I destroyed the recordings.
Credibility and Trustworthiness
I aimed to ensure credibility and trustworthiness to further promote confidence in the
findings. The research question sought to identify BGUMS’ knowledge and motivation and
organizational factors of higher education institutions in regard to sense of belonging for
BGUMS. Maxwell (2013) stated that two threats to validity in a qualitative study are selecting
data that aligns with the researcher’s present theories and goals and selecting data that is of the
most interest to the researcher. Both of these threats to validity led to researcher bias and did not
have the potential to eliminate the bias. However, bias was mitigated. It was important for me to
acknowledge bias that may be present in the study and ensure that the framework being used
supports the study’s integrity.
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) found the researcher’s experience, training, and intellectual
rigor inform a qualitative study’s credibility. Creswell (2014) presents multiple strategies that
can assist in increasing credibility, including triangulation. Another strategy is the use of thick
and rich descriptions of participants’ experiences, which will help the reader get the full context
of what they relayed and of the findings. My due diligence in preparing the proper protocols and
strategies was essential to research trustworthiness.
Ethics
Genuine relationship building was essential in navigating the participants’ consent and
making sure that confidentiality was at the forefront of this study. Oftentimes within this
community, many may not be out publicly and may not want to disclose how they identify. I
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provided $30 gift cards as a thank you for their participation, which I gave them through email at
the end of each interview. I disclosed my identity as it pertains to sexual orientation to hopefully
reinforce trust and elevate shared experiences. The IRB process involved minimal risk, and
participants’ confidentiality was ensured through the use of pseudonyms.
This research on the challenges of Black gay men in college uncovered themes that may
aid colleges and universities in supporting this group. As mentioned before, there is much
research on Black men in college and their persistence. However, most of the research does not
consider other parts of their identities that may inform how they persist. To minimize harm, I
made sure all participants knew that the information would be used to support colleges and
universities to support students holistically. The results were disseminated through the
dissertation and may be leveraged to inform strategies to increase sense of belonging for
BGUMS.
I employed three strategies outlined in the American Education Research Association's
(2011) ethical standards guide. The first was informed consent, meaning that receiving consent
from human subjects is a basic tenet of working with them. Consent is an agreement between the
participant and the researcher that outlines the scope of the research and the role of the
researcher. The second was confidentiality. The researcher is responsible for ensuring the
confidentiality of the information gathered, which secures the integrity of the study. I stored the
data in a secure location to uphold participants’ privacy. The fourth is avoiding harm. I took the
necessary steps to protect the participants from mental, physical, and professional harm. By
managing potential risk and informing the participants regarding what the data would be used for
also helped inform their willingness to go through the study.

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Chapter Four: Findings
The findings of this study are gleaned from virtual interviews with Black gay
undergraduate male-identified alumni from Khufu University, Sanaga University, Benue
University, Osun University, Khafre University, and Menkaure University. Out of the eligible
population, eight individuals agreed to be interviewed. They were Kingston, Donovan, William,
Harper, Bryce, Porter, Boris, and Kwame (pseudonyms). All individuals earned an
undergraduate degree within the last four years. Their perspectives and experiences provided a
unique lens on their undergraduate experiences and what could have improved them. Each
participant represented a unique university type, outlined in Table 5.

Table 5
University Type
Participant University/College Type Location
Kingston Khufu University Private, 4-year, *PWI West
Donovan Khufu University Private, 4-year, *PWI West
William Khufu University Private, 4-year, *PWI West
Boris Khafre College Private, 4-year, **HBCU South
Bryce Osun College Private, 4-year, **HBCU South
Harper Benue College Private, 4-year, *PWI Mid-West
Porter Sanaga State University Private, 4-year, *PWI Mid-West
Kwame Menkaure *** A&M University Public, 4-year, *PWI South

Note: *PWI – Predominately White institution, ** HBCU – Historically Black College or
University, *** A&M – Agricultural and Mechanical

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The interview data raised four salient themes focused on personal identity process and
confirmation, community, persistence, and resources, all of which informed participants’ sense
of belonging. Each theme also produced sub-themes on the broader themes that rose from the
interviews. The following four sections will address the research question according to the KMO
framework (Clark & Estes, 2008). Table 6 outlines the themes and sub-themes, and Table 7
outlines the KMO influences and their corresponding theme.

Table 6
Themes and Sub-themes
Themes Sub-themes
Personal identity process and confirmation Campus identity
What do I think about first…race or sexuality
BGUMS and Black male stereotypes
Challenges of BGUMS and Black male
students
BGUMS and Community Advocating for BGUMS sense of belonging
and other marginalized communities
Mentoring other BGUMS
Intra-community prejudice
Persistence of BGUMS BGUMS intrinsic motivation
Leveraging their sexuality and/or Blackness
Leveraging their other identities
Resource Availability Faculty and staff representation
Expectations of diversity and inclusion
administrators

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Table 7
KMO Influences and themes
Knowledge Influence Themes
BGUMS need to know the meaning of race,
gender, sexuality, community, and
intersectionality
Personal identity process and confirmation,
BGUMS, and community
Do BGUMS know how to navigate challenges
and stereotypes on campus
Challenges of BGUMS and Black male
students, BGUMS and Black male stereotypes
Do BGUMS know how to self-reflect on their
needs that impact their sense of belonging?
Campus identity, What do I think about
first…race or sexuality, Intra-community
prejudice
Motivation Influence Themes
BGUMS need to believe they can have a
positive impact on the organizational culture
in regard to co-creation of inclusion practices
Advocating for BGUMS sense of belonging
and other marginalized communities
BGUMS need to believe they can persist
through college
Persistence of BGUMS, BGUMS intrinsic
motivation, Leveraging their sexuality and/or
Blackness, Leveraging their other identities
BGUMS need to believe they can be active
participants in the work of belonging
Mentoring other BGUMS
Organization Influences Themes
The organization needs to value a shared
understanding of what the expectations are
between BGUMS and diversity inclusion
administrators
Expectations of diversity and inclusion
administrators
The organization needs to provide resources
to BGUMS to create an effective sense of
belonging
Resource availability, Faculty and staff
representation

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Personal Identity Process and Confirmation
The phenomenological interplay of race and sexuality and how that informs BGUMS’
sense of belonging is a concept that all participants grappled with on their quest to find who they
are and whom they were becoming. This notion of embracing who they wanted their peers to see
and who they truly were on the inside spoke to a choice that 3 of the participants made early on
at their institutions. This choice for most participants was more about their sexual orientation and
less about their Blackness when thinking about the collegiate journey that was before them. All
of the participants were confident in who they were in their Blackness and fought to understand
how their sexual orientation would coexist socially and academically. Four sub-themes informed
how interviewees’ personal identity process and confirmation were undergirded by nuances in
campus identity, what they thought about first (race or sexuality), Black male stereotypes, and
challenges of BGUMS and Black males. The following sections will expound on the sub-themes.
Campus Identity
Among participants, 63% spoke to the metacognitive gap focused on the ability to name
their needs around a sense of belonging. Their lived everyday experiences pertained to how and
what their campus identity would be daily, in and outside the classroom. Boris spoke to how
where he came from impacted the way he viewed his sexual identity confirmation on campus:
Coming from a small town where everybody knows everybody, and I will say, it wasn’t
many openly gay people in my city, so going to college, I was trying to figure out how
can I learn about this, or who can I be cool with? Who can I trust with this type of
information? It took me a long time to open up to people until I finally ran into a friend.
Along with Boris, Kingston described that, coming from Chicago, he found himself being
influenced by the environment he came from:
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I’m first-generation, low-income, and I was homeless all throughout my high school
career. And, specifically speaking, from the Black community where I resided, there was
a huge notion about being attracted to the same sex. And, so, I essentially had repressed
all of my attraction for men and coming to Khufu, there was just this huge opportunity
for me in order to explore and engage exactly who I was.
Both of these participants were influenced by where they came from and embraced editing parts
of themselves because the environment in which they were brought up did not celebrate or affirm
their sexual orientation. Editing themselves initially but having an opportunity to explore who
they truly were spoke to a yearning for affirmation, freedom, and a sense of belonging. Initially,
Donovan, also from Chicago, found himself in a questioning space when trying to navigate and
confirm who he was sexually on Khufu’s campus. Donovan shared,
I think as somebody who was questioning and being in this space where things were so
liberal when it came to ideas about sexuality and relationships, while on one hand, I
thought that was freeing because there was really no expectations for how you had to be,
what beliefs you had to have. But on the other hand, it did feel boxing in because as
somebody was questioning to be in such a liberal space, okay, this is too much. Or I’m
not sure if the spaces that are carved out for being a gay undergraduate male, if that’s still
the space for me, particularly.
What Donovan’s wanted his campus identity to be, coupled with a perception that the campus
environment was liberal in a sexual orientation space, caused a conundrum of balancing a sexual
orientation journey and stepping into an unknown space of liberation on campus with his
sexuality. Harper shared Donovan’s perception of campus culture. Harper described his
experience being at an institution focused on the performing arts:
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In the beginning, I really wasn’t comfortable with myself. The beginning of my freshman
year of college, I really wasn’t too comfortable with my sexuality…So, the stereotype in
a performing arts world is people who... Guys that dance or do music or anything in the
performing arts world are typically gay.
Boris, Kingston, Donovan, and Harper all had external factors that influenced how they wanted
to show up initially on their campus. All of these external factors contributed to the personal
identity process and confirmation.
What Do I Think About First…Race or Sexuality?
Interrogating what it means to navigate multiple identities while trying to find a sense of
belonging raises again a question about choice and what BGUMS deem most important. All
participants brought forward deep reflection on the meaning of race, sexuality, gender,
community, and intersectionality, which speaks to the metacognitive knowledge gap. The
interviewer asked participants what came to their mind first then they thought about finding a
sense of belonging. Forty-three percent of participants indicated they immediately thoguht about
their Blackness before their sexual identity. Neither race nor sexuality is a monolith, and one
must highlight that the expression of both race and sexuality is grounded in the concept of a
social construct (Yieke & Baumangasse, 2001). Donovan shared what he felt was the identity
that he thought of first when seeking a sense of belonging:
So, I think when finding a sense of belonging at Khufu, the first identity that I thought
about was definitely my identity as a Black person. I felt like that’s the part of my
identity at the moment, coming into a new space needed to be nurtured the most and
maintained the most.
The importance of intentionally embracing and celebrating their Blackness was vital to the initial
step of finding a sense of belonging for Donovan. Boris also found himself thinking about his
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Blackness before his sexuality: “I identified with being Black, because being in the South, you’re
Black…Before I say anything about being gay, I’m a Black man. To me, that’s all they really
care about. Kinda, I would say.” Kingston noted that his sense of belonging depended on the
situation. Kingston went on to share,
Dependent on the social scene that I was in, what facet of my identity that I truly focused
on and thinking about first…So, when I would go, and when I navigate the landscape of
academics, it was always my Blackness that was first in mind.
Kingston’s navigation of this choice between race and sexuality brings to bear that there is a very
real experience of BGUMS having to determine what works best for them depending on the
environment. The freedom to just be their full authentic selves seemed to be absent in their
experiences.
The experiences of William and Bryce were not a binary between race and sexuality, as
they brought into their experiences intentionality around the importance of having an
intersectional lens when answering this question. Bryce specifically shared,
I almost felt like there was so much more nuance and interest in understanding more
about gender and sex, and sexuality and how it related back to race rather than coming
from the standpoint that racial equity and then trying to map on an understanding more
about gender and sex, and sexuality for me…but I almost felt like I had to prioritize
understanding more about the platform of gender and sex, and sexuality and parity and
disparity there, and then wrapping that back up into consistently understanding my
experience as a Black or brown person and the African American diasporic experience.
Bryce brought forward a nuance of sexuality and introduced gender into the conversation. He
preferred to think about making meaning of gender and sex then introduced how his Blackness
was informed by gender and sex.
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William also brought a different perspective on what he thought about first, especially
while attending an HBCU founded for men:
Yeah. So, I definitely think that they are simultaneously happening at the same time…but
I want to say that my queerness stands in the forefront because of the fact that my
queerness encompasses all of my different identities. And, so, that I always say that I’m
first because with them, my queerness is also my Blackness. Within my queerness is also
the fact that I’m disabled, that I have a learning disability also within my queerness…It’s
just being queer is like an umbrella. And, so, I’ve all my things fall under the umbrella.
So, that’s why I lead with it. And a lot of people see that as me saying that “Oh, I’m gay
first, Black second,” but that’s not the case, especially when you actually learn to define
what queerness is for yourself. It’s so much more deeper than sexuality. And so that’s
why I always lead with that because it’s really that’s my one-stop-shop. Yeah.
William also carried forward the notion that he thinks about race and sexuality at the same time
through the framework of queerness. His response embodies the fact that race and sexuality are
indeed not a monolith, and when supporting a sense of belonging, it is important to frame it from
that standpoint. Creating the necessary space for this to happen also helps to navigate the
stereotypes that come with holding those identities.
BGUMS and Black Male Stereotypes
In the personal identity process and confirmation ,another aspect that is very much
present is that of stereotypes and how they impact how BGUMS view themselves and everyone
with whom they come into contact. All participants spoke to there being Black gay male or
Black male stereotypes that impacted their sense of belonging and how they attempted to
navigate them. More often than not, these stereotypes, as shared by all participants are negative
and do not support positive advancement. In the academic space, stereotypes of Black men
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formed the participants’ experiences. Kingston, who was an engineering major, shared his
experiences:
There would be times where I'd look around and I'd see no one like me, specifically
speaking. I'm in an engineering major, and being in the engineering major, there weren't
that many underrepresented minorities inside of my major, and, so, I felt as if I was the
only one that was present. And, in addition, I always felt as if I was being looked down
upon because I was a Black male. And so trying to engage with my peers, and to work in
groups, that felt that my perspective was being overlooked, sometimes the professors
didn't take me seriously, and it almost felt as if they expected me to not be on top of my
things, and when I would do very well, it almost would take them by surprise…So, I
faced numerous microaggressions, as a Black male on campus, and trying to navigate the
academic space.
Twenty-five percent of respondents shared they would not perform well academically in
academic majors that did not have high representation of Black men. Harper went on to describe
how he faced stereotypes around academics:
I want to say in my college, specifically, I was looked at more because of my talent
versus my academic knowledge. I would get the praises of, "Oh, you're a singer, you're a
great singer," but I really got looked over when it came to the academic side of being in
college. I kind of actually related it to how the world we give Black athletes, so much
praises, or it's always quick. We always run quick to Black athletes. And they're not just
Black athletes. Some of those athletes are very smart men. You know what I'm saying?
They're very smart, knowledgeable men, but they get overlooked as being smart because
they're such great ball players.
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The responses from Kingston and Harper are in line with what many participants faced
when entering the classroom; an experience grounded in deficit. Being challenged academically
solely based on intellectual ability, first and foremost, is not common among Black men, as there
are oftentimes perceptions of laziness and non-rigorous K-12 experiences that this group
encounters. Stereotypes of Black men go beyond the classroom and show up in everyday life, as
described by Boris, “When it comes to being stereotyped, I'm six feet, Black, dark skin. I'm
really dark. I already feel like people are intimidated by me, and I have a resting face. I look
mean.” Being cognizant of these stereotypes props Black men up to have to overcome these
stereotypes and carefully navigate interactions with others in the hopes of having a positive
experience in their day-to-day lives. Boris went on to say, “ So, I try to not come off as
aggressive because they already see us as aggressive and violent. I try to not bring it to the table
when I meet people.”
Generally, there are many stereotypes that are positioned to represent Black men;
however, Black gay men also have stereotypes that they must navigate to find that sense of
belonging on college campuses and in the world. William summed up this perfectly when he
spoke to making meaning around having multiple marginalized identities:
I also feel that anybody who lives in multiple marginalized identities is pushed and
accelerated to be better than the next. And it's for survival as much as acceptance and
uptake. There are so many different research methodologies and pieces of literature that
point at that overcompensation of individuals feeling like they basically have to be hyper-
competent and really be able to demonstrate why they're good at what they do just to be
taken seriously by some of these things that hold us back in terms of cultural perception
and economy. In that dominant cultural framework of the White cisgendered male thing
that go to calls of action.
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Having to navigate stereotypes within a race and gender construct is difficult in and of
itself. However, adding sexual orientation comes with nuances. Boris expounded on this: “Me
being Black was already a strike to me. And then, adding liking guys on top of that, that's two
strikes. And you're in the South, that's three strikes.” The interplay of race and sexuality at its
core duality must be assessed critically. Stereotypes of Black gay men in the greater community,
especially around general health, have played a role in Bryce’s undergraduate experience. Bryce
went on to share a story when he first got to his institution:
And I'll never forget when I first got to Osun College, long story, but my ex from back
home, from when I was in 11th grade, my junior year of high school, long story short, I
got on campus. He found out that am at Osun. So, he started telling people that I was HIV
positive, which wasn't true, which isn't true. But it was just the fact that that was a rumor
that it was just making its way around campus. And I didn't know how to, I didn't know
how to navigate it. Like I, because I'm the type of person I do not like, HIV is already
stigmatized and I'm not going to add to the stigma by saying, Oh, this isn't true, I'm HIV
negative because nobody else would like for any other thing, nobody else is coming out
with trying to say, this is not true. This is not that. And I feel like me doing that would
have added on to the stigma to say, it just would've added on stigma, so I never addressed
it.
Bryce’s story sheds light on not only the health implications of stereotypes around Black gay
men but also the burden that he, as Black gay man, has to carry along with the other stereotypes
that society has created.
Kingston brought forward the stereotype around Black gay men being itemized in
intimate relationship spaces:
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It was almost as if Black, gay men were itemized. They were seen as tools, there's the
running saying, and then the stereotypes of saying, "Oh, Black man, essentially they have
large penises. And that directly correlates to the level of sexual engagement that someone
can get." So, it was very much, people were trying to seek me out and hook up with me,
but no one was really looking for a relationship. And it was always, a lot of the other gays
would go, "I'd hook up with a Black person, but I wouldn't date them." And so that
definitely was a narrative that I've seen amongst myself and some of my fellow Black,
gay male peers, that we never could really find anybody to date because there was no one
around.
Black maleness and Black gay maleness bring many unwarranted projections and/or expectations
from society their peers. These stereotypes also compete with the sense of belonging that
BGUMS aspire to have on college campuses. The participants paint a grim reality of attempting
to focus and perform well academically while having to deconstruct stereotypes that prevent
them from having a sense of belonging in and outside of the classroom.
Challenges of BGUMS and Black Male Students
Along with race and sexuality, the participants also raised other intersecting identities
such as faith, socioeconomic status, and learning disability that brought different types of
challenges. Thirty-eight percent of participants raised this as a procedural knowledge gap of
navigating these challenges they face daily during their collegiate tenure. Donovan shared, “And
I would say another large intersect, and part of my identity was really my faith because I think
that's a very critical part of just how I live and how I navigate the world and what I display,
publicly.” This posture of showing outwardly that faith and his Blackness were salient pieces of
Donovan’s identity, but not sexuality, is a challenge that many Black gay men face. Being able
to reconcile faith and sexuality that is “deviant” from the binary is a tightrope that often prompts
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having to choose between their community of faith and whom they believe they are sexually.
Kwame also shared having a challenge when trying to navigate his sense of belonging,
[BGUMS] trying to find out, figure out who they are and they don't have to have those
conflicting identities. Oh, I can't be gay, and I can't be Christian at the same time, so I
would love to be able to help students navigate those identities.
Socioeconomic status is another identity that William spoke about having an impact on
his sense of belonging and how he showed up in various spaces:
I think there is a lot of Black and White divide as we speak, from the context of Black
experience at Khufu. And I think it has a lot to do with class lines as well. Sometimes, I
feel like there's a very disparate experience because some of the Black folk are within and
some are without, but I would posit to say there are much more normal Black folk when
it comes to socioeconomic status, family acclaim. Just people of color versus a lot of
White students, there's a huge, huge range and there are ends of the world in terms of
wealth and acclaim, and accolade. And their own family, and their personal doings in
their short lifetime coming to Khufu.
Only 13% of participants compared socioeconomic class via the framework of race and how it
also causes a divide, which speaks to the implications that some are with and some are without in
terms of accessibility of resources and a sense of belonging. One might argue that more wealth
equals better upward mobility within social settings and academic preparedness. Bryce shared,
Being first-generation, so the first one in my family. I'm an only child. And honestly just
being told that I couldn't do things my entire life. Like, Osun rejected me initially. I got to
have a whole rejection letter from Osun. So, that kept me going. It's the fact that I knew
that I wasn't even supposed to be in that space that, you know, as a Black man, my entire
54

life, I was told, I most likely wasn't going to go to college because of my learning
disability and my learning differences
The participants did not see first-generation and low-income identities as a deficit but as an
opportunity to be intrinsically motivated to succeed despite identifying as first-generation and
low-income. The challenges each participant experienced are yet another layer in BGUMS’
sense of belonging.
BGUMS and Community
Human beings crave community and being able to exist in that space with like-minded
individuals who will challenge us to grow and give back. All participants talked about
community the most when engaging around a sense of belonging, which speaks to the factual
knowledge gap of knowing the meaning of community and intersectionality. When asked what
community looked like for them, all participants highlighted the vital position that community
serves in feeling a sense of belonging. Porter explained, “Honestly, it was important…having a
space where my identity would be holistically welcomed. Not only welcomed, not only tolerated,
but welcomed, celebrated and acknowledged and supported within the environment.” Porter
positioned that only tolerating his full authentic self was not up for debate, and real community
was a space of holistic celebration and affirmation. Boris positioned his community as a group:
I just confided in them because I feel like at the time I was comfortable enough to
confide in them…because they never judged me about what I do and who I do it with.
They only judge me off of how I treat them as a person.
The opportunity to be in fellowship with those who Boris felt comfortable enough to reveal his
sexuality, too, was pivotal in his sense of belonging.
Donovan’s experience around community rested heavily on those who shared similar
experiences and identities as he did. Donovan explained,
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That was really important to me because just the daily stresses of being an undergraduate
student and trying to make it through, it felt good to have comradery. It felt good to have
people who were going through some of the same struggles that you were going through
because that provided a sense of hope. They're like, "Okay, we're going to make it out of
this because we've committed to this together."
Finding community also encouraged participants to advocate for a sense of belonging for other
BGUMS and other marginalized groups, like mentoring. Another aspect of finding community is
that, within that space, intra-community prejudice may reside. The three sub-themes of
advocating for BGUMS’ and other marginalized groups’ sense of belonging, mentoring other
BGUMS, and intra-community prejudice will be addressed in the following sections.
Advocating for BGUMS Sense of Belonging and Other Marginalized Communities
Kingston, William, Bryce, and Porter focused on advocating for other BGUMS and other
marginalized communities as a byproduct of what they felt was missing for them. The self-
efficacy gap of believing they can positively impact the organizational culture, encompassing
creating inclusive practices, was highlighted by the experiences of 50% of respondents. Making
and creating spaces that specifically targeted Black gay men at their institutions required
intentionality. Kingston stated,
I really wanted to advocate and make campus a more welcoming and inclusive space. So,
I tried to put myself inside of positions of uncomfortability, knowing that it would
essentially lead forward, and waterfall and make other Black, gay men, undergraduate
men, on campus comfortable as well.
William also shared, “I was able to set up some of that dynamic for folks within our community
spaces. Trying to be a resource for individuals within the Black and queer space.” The
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responsibility that William and Kingston felt stemmed from not seeing spaces that affirmed their
Blackness and sexual orientation simultaneously.
Respondents articulated that having a sense of belonging was paramount in the ethos of
their community spaces, whether they be physical or metaphysical. Bryce relayed the importance
of knocking down the binary related to gender norms, sexuality and how that action can create a
better sense of belonging for those who do not identify or present within that binary:
But I think the most important thing for me, when I was navigating, although I wasn't
able to have a lot of deep relationships with a lot of the queer folks on our campus was
ensuring that they could see themselves through me. And then they could see themselves
in SGA president…they could see themselves when it came to other HBCUs. That's why
I got in drag when I was Mr. HBCU was because I wanted folks who were non-binary. I
wanted fem folks. I wanted those folks who weren't in traditionally, look that in these
roles, in which you had a crown on your head, a suit and tie, and you got to lady on your
arm, and she's holding your arm, I wanted to be able to change that narrative for them to
be able to see, Oh, there, I can see myself doing this.
The dismantling of the binary seemed to speak to what it takes for those who do not feel seen
and affirmed receiving that opportunity on campus. Porter also weighed in:
I'm going to create spaces for the future Porter's. If I don't do it, who else wants to do it?
So, I'm going to keep fighting so that the next person doesn't have to fight the same
problematic, toxic and be in this horrible space. So, I pushed through, I kept not
necessarily arguing, but I kept advocating and saying what I needed and how I felt my
experiences while I was doing while they're seeing why not other queer Black gay guys
were dealing with.
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Becoming advocates so that other BGUMS can have a sense of belonging is yet another tool that
this group leverages for successful persistence.
Mentoring Other BGUMS
Active mentorship can create community in even the most sensitive of identity-based
areas, and participants’ willingness to mentor other BGUMS displayed the essence of that.
Thirty-eight percent of participants thought that mentoring other BGUMS was important to
addressing the expectancy-value gap focused on believing they can be active participants in
creating a sense of belonging for themselves and others. William, when asked if he believed that
he could have a positive impact on other BGUMS, said, “Mentorship was always actively
important to me, and hilariously enough I didn't realize it, but I always drifted towards people
who were experiencing multiple minoritizations in terms of being able to mentor them rather
than not.” Even while navigating their personal education and identity journeys, interviewees’
found themselves in the teacher role that focused on areas of growth, development, and simply
being a listening ear. Donovan illustrated this by saying,
I always tried to provide that sense of friendship and care to the people that I came
across, just in general. And I think, in my experiences, I've had with other Black gay
males at Khufu, I think that just being open to providing nonjudgmental spaces and
nonjudgmental spaces that I myself would have liked to receive, helped me foster more
community and connection with other Black gay males.
Harper spoke about his desire to mentor other BGUMS: “I did and still do desire to talk to other
Black, gay men, younger, Black, gay men, like high school to undergrad age group, so that they
won't make the same mistakes that I've made.” Mentorship for the participants is a model of
paying it forward so that other BGUMS can benefit from their experiences whether or bad, by in
hopes that their journey would be smoother.
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Intra Community Prejudice
Finding community is rewarding in terms of finding a sense of belonging for BGUMS;
however, intra-community prejudice can do the opposite. Out of the respondents, 50% affirmed
that there was intra-community prejudice that impacted their sense of belonging and brought
forward metacognitive gaps of knowing how to reflect on what their needs are with regards to
feeling a sense of belonging. Kingston expounded on this notion:
Specifically speaking, it's almost as if Black, gay men didn't have a space on campus
because a lot of times, within the Black community, when people are coming in from all
different backgrounds and perspectives, you may get some backlash about being, not
backlash, but people will treat you and look at you differently for being gay.
One might assume that being a part of a marginalized group would bring those who identify as
part of that group together based on similar lived experiences; however, 50% of participants’
experiences highlighted that is not always be the case. Porter expanded on this truth by sharing a
piece of his story:
There were some heterosexual Black males who were those highly respected, involved,
everyone loves them type of guys, and they just did not like me. They want to do
anything in their power to see my downfall. So, I can remember one time, I was running
for the executive board for this organization, and they purposely brought all of their
friends there to get me voted out, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. I was very
much so qualified for the position.
Intra-community prejudice showed up differently for Porter and Kingston; however, the impact
was the same. They did not feel validated or seen among a community with shared experiences.

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Persistence of BGUMS
One of the goals of a higher education tenure is to persist through graduation and obtain
in- and out-of-classroom experiences to prepare for the future. Persistence looks different for
various demographic groups. Historically, persistence for Black men in higher education has
been well researched. Nonetheless, when asked about their persistence and how they navigate it,
all participants shed light on intrinsic motivation, leveraging their sexuality and/or Blackness,
into their other salient identities as factors in their persistence. The following sections will
outline their experiences.
BGUMS Intrinsic Motivation
Motivation to accomplish something has its roots in external and internal factors.
Intrinsic motivation, which speaks to the self-efficacy gap, came up in 50% of interviews in
terms of what makes BGUMS persist through their collegiate career despite barriers they face
because of who they are. Kingston uncovered his intrinsic motivational factors by saying,
So, if you look to the Black Lives Matter movement, that has been catalyzed over the
recent months, you see that a lot of people saying, "Black lives matter," but they're not
talking about the Black LGBTQ+ Black lives, and me wanting to make sure that I can be
an advocate for my community in these groups, and to make sure that people realize that
these lives do matter, not seeing young, Black gay men, specifically speaking, I'm talking
about Chicago, selling themselves, or getting shot, and being tortured, and making sure
they have access to those resources.
Being an advocate was the impetus for Kingston’s persistence so that others could have access to
resources. Boris spoke to this also when he shared, “I make sure that I stay above the radar
because you can't really be mediocre in the world because there's 100,000 people going for the
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same thing you're going for, so you got to be the best or close to it.” Harper spoke of his intrinsic
motivation being grounded in his family education history:
The motivation for me was also being the oldest of having six younger brothers. I wanted
them to see, because our dad didn't do it, so I wanted them to see, “If my big brother can
get a college degree, be a Black man and get a college degree, I can go get one.”
The context of intrinsic motivation also leads to other identities specific to Blackness and
sexuality.
Leveraging Their Sexuality and/or Blackness
Throughout the interviews, the participants were asked to think about their sense of
belonging through the lens of their Blackness and sexuality. Their answers regarding persistence
and how it interfaces with those two identities were telling, as in 38% described an overall
approach to the goal of graduation. Donovan homed in on being a Black male in engineering:
being a Black male in engineering, just always having the assumption, sometimes there's
thought spaces that you don't know what you're talking about or that you lack the
technical knowledge to compete. I think that was a motivator for myself because I had
seen the things that I was able to do.
The shared experience of Blackness serving as the foundation for their persistence was also
expanded on by Boris and Harper. Boris’ shared, “ I would say they made me work even harder
because I knew that going into the real world, like I said, you have one strike against you
because you're Black.” and Harper added, “ Absolutely. Number one, me being a Black male,
where I come from and where I grew up, not too many Black males had even finished college.”
Leaning into being a representative of what Black students and specifically Black men can
accomplish in the midst of real barriers drove their ultimate degree obtainment. Kingston, when
thinking about his persistence, thought about both his sexuality and his Blackness to explain why
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he persisted through college, “Yes, definitely both my Blackness and my gayness were
extremely vital in terms of me moving forward, and making sure that I got this degree, and was
able to better assist in my community.” Leveraging these identities as foundational pieces to their
persistence enabled BGUMS to find their why.
Leveraging Their Other Identities
Throughout the interviews, 38% of participants mentioned other identities that also
informed their persistence which informed the self-efficacy gap focused on BGUMS belief that
they can persist through college. Bryce explained how his learning disability impacted the way
he perceived his persistence in the wake of administrators doubting his abilities:
I was told I most likely wasn't going to go to college because of my learning disability
and my learning differences…And, so, that was really my motivating factor. That really
pushed me through, especially when I had to graduate in the middle of the pandemic
when everything went virtual and I couldn't even see my right from my left…I'm really
motivated by negative things, and that's bad, but I'm definitely motivated by when I'm
told no that I couldn't do anything.
Bryce used being a Black gay male and having a learning disability as motivation to persist.
William highlighted him being a first-generation college student informed his persistence:
I am a damn near first-generation Black and queer cisgendered man who came into
Khufu with a mere percentage of the resources that a majority hilariously, of the student
population, probably had. And I did more in terms of my academic content and context
than the rest of my graduating class because I was the only one in the graduate section to
standup with my masters.
Donovan also shared a part of his identity that encouraged him to persist: his faith. He
said,
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My faith…So, I just think trying to live biblically and knowing they allow them
commanded to have joy in certain situations and God is joy and He is my strength. I think
that was a big part of seeking help and seeking wisdom outside of myself or outside of
anything I could find in humans or in the natural space.
The participants spoke to the various salient identities that they believed were the catalysts of
their persistence and how important it is to name them. An important piece of persistence is also
having access to the resources that the institution has to offer.
Resource Availability
Having access to not only resources but resources that support their specific needs is a
theme that came up in many interviews. Higher education institutions are poised to provide not
educational resources and resources that support development outside of the classroom. Seventy
percent of respondents highlighted there was a lack of resources specifically for BGUMS and
confirmed the cultural setting gap of organizations providing resources to support their sense of
belonging. Resource allocation reflects an institution's priorities and tells stakeholders where the
university's stance is on what it means to be successful. The lack of resources also sends a
message of neglect or blind spots that may be present within an organization. Kingston shared,
I have the utmost respect for the people that were a part of, that were essentially the
leaders in terms of the spaces such as the Office of Black Student Success, The Support
Office. But I think that these spaces were very under-resourced, and as a byproduct of
that, there were so many different things that they were attending to, and they were trying
to address, and they were trying to set up programming for, that a lot of times the
LGBTQ+ community and the gay Black men were pushed to the back.
Kingston needed a resource that supports his identities, but it was not enough in terms of his
ultimate development as a whole person.
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Donovan shared similar experiences getting access to resources that supported his sense
of belonging: “Just being at the Black Student Support Services and through some of the people
that I met coming through there…I don't think it provided enough space and safe space for Black
gay men, to be comfortable.” Both Donovan and Kingston spoke to the gap in the resources,
highlighting that their sexual orientation was a neglected piece of their identity that also needed
nurturing.
Even though parts of their identity were not supported in particular spaces on campus,
William brought a different perspective to the conversation around support:
So, I had many different episodes of support and resource, but did they identify in the
way that I did? No. Did they see me and hear me and learn with me and grow with me
and love on me, and did I love on them? Yes. Did I have them within the administration
as much as within the confines of my own peer support? Entirely.
William embraced the overall support rather than the capacity for these specific offices to
support every part of his identity.
Harper brought forward a resource that is becoming increasingly important: mental health
resources. To help him navigate the identity process and confirmation and his sense of
belonging, Harper explained, “I did seek out resources. I actually went to therapy that the school
offered while I was in college. It related to my past traumas, but it also related to me being that
Black, gay male.” Therapy is an opportunity to which not every participant had access. Donovan
shared, “either by providing more specific support for Black men or mentorship or counseling, I
think that would have been greatly appreciated so that I could have known that I would have had
people to confide in, early on.” In Boris’s experience, he found himself at an institution that did
not have any formal support or identity-based resources specifically for the LGBTIQ+
community until the latter part of his academic journey: “I'll be honest, we didn't have any type
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of support on campus that related to gay or bi, until I became a junior…It was the resources on
campus, but I just never went to them because it was just something I just wasn't interested in.”
In many cases, the participants shared that if they had representation among faculty and staff
ranks, their sense of belonging may have been cultivated more.
Faculty and Staff Representation
Representation matters, especially in the case of marginalized communities. Seeing
someone who looks like you and shares similar life experiences provides a resource, as 38% of
participants noted. The lack of Black gay male faculty and staff validated the cultural model gap
of organizations valuing diverse representation amongst faculty/staff. William explained the
importance of having specific representation in the faculty/staff ranks: “I don't know one god----
professor who identified as Black and gay period. And maybe I was missing something, but I
think infrastructurally, even in the administration was very spotty.”
Representation that is both present and involved was very important to William’s overall
sense of belonging at his institution. He voiced this by highlighting a particular administrator at
his institution:
I think about Lissette Samuels DuBois was somebody who came into my life and entirely
and totally came up with different dynamics and methods to support me and be a resource
for me in ways that I didn't even realize that I needed, across the time there (KU). But is
that her call to action? Not at all. That's just what she does for many different students,
but we saw a kindred spirit in one another, and I think she understood more about my
experience as we continued to grow and learn together and I think she, hilariously, could
also relate to some of the ins and outs of being somebody who's within the Black
community but who is also lighter-skinned, and understanding and holding yourself
accountable, while also understanding that sometimes it's a double hit in a dominant
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cultural perception you're, quote unquote, held up, but how do you walk back on that and
also understand that other people may see that and feel that and hear that and become
frustrated with the idea that you have some things that you receive in a greater light.
Representation within the Black and gay space would have been a game-changer for his sense of
belonging, even though William did receive support from other administrators. Kwame went on
to share this important aspect:
Identifying as a gay Black man, I also had a few mentors. One of my fraternity brothers
who was my mentor at the time. And he identifies as a gay Black man as well. So, that,
that was, I guess, primarily my support system, there were a few people, faculty members
or staff members at the university that I could go to if I did have questions or just feel
comfortable being myself around.
Kwame’s experience of having a Black gay male as mentor and also serving as his primary
support system further supports the need for more Black gay male representation.
Expectations of Diversity & Inclusion Administrators and Campus Offices
Higher education administrators have the task of supporting students’ out-of-classroom
development. Specific offices support various demographic groups and serve as a beacon of
unwavering support to the nuances of students’ identities. Seventy-five percent of respondents
shared they had expectations of D&I administrators and campus offices to address their sense of
belonging, which highlights the cultural model gap. LGBTIQ+ centers came up in the interviews
for Kingston and Porter. Kingston shared his sentiments: “And in comparison to, if I wanted to
go over to the LGBTIQ+ Center, there was definitely colorism, huge colorism at play…So, there
was this really weird nuance of, I'm Black, and I'm gay, but I really don't fit into either one of the
communities that's present on campus.” Porter highlighted:
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During that time, I went to our first queer and supporting advocating group, which is our
spectrum at our institution. And I struggled going to their orientation to meetings because
they can't... The overall body, the aura, the energy of the room was more so carried
towards the White LGBTQIA identity, and I do not connect a lot with. So, I continued to
struggle to find community, find support, find connections to other like Black gay males
at Sanaga State.
Both Porter and Kingston shed light on a gap present in the everyday work of their LGBTIQ+
centers: that work centers the absence of an intersectionality framework. Within this
intersectionality framework, Donovan had expectations of D&I administrators:
I think I did have expectations for space to be created for, especially Black gay men
specifically, because we always talk about the great diversity in Blackness. And so I
would hope at a place as well-resourced, as Khufu University, that there would be more
efforts. I did have expectations of staff and administrators to provide those programs and
spaces.
Other participants had similar expectations of D&I administrators and their capacity to support
BGUMS sense of belonging, Bryce went on to share:
Yeah, definitely. You're supposed to be shaping student experiences. And so you're
sitting, you're shaping student experiences. You should definitely be cognizant of the
different, and you should definitely be cognizant of the fact that you have especially at
Osun University, that you have people of different identities, different cultures, different
backgrounds on your campus.
Porter revealed that it was important for administrators to hear what BGUMS specific needs are
to give them an opportunity to address them. He expounded on this notion:
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I would say looking back and as an alumni, I would say honestly for most parts…Once I
started advocating and saying, okay, this is an issue, this something I've been seeing, this
something that I know others are experiencing. Once I started bringing attention to it,
then there started to be some action behind correcting those behaviors and moving those
toxic individuals.
Being able to provide the right resources to BGUMS and understanding what intersectional
support means is essential, as explained by participants.
In summary, participants provided identity process and confirmation, community,
persistence, and resources as pivotal points of interest in feeling a sense of belonging, which
would ultimately lead to persistence. While the stakeholder groups may not have all the right
tools and resources, there are significant steps that institutions can take to address this
phenomenon of sense of belonging for BGUMS. The final section of this dissertation will
provide recommendations for the organization, implementation and evaluation strategies for
addressing knowledge, motivation, and organizational influences, and opportunities for future
research. The following three tables (Tables 8-10) will show the validation of knowledge,
motivation, and organization influences.

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Table 8
Field of Practice Validation of Knowledge Influences
Assumed Knowledge Influences Validated, or Not validated
Factual:
BGUMS need to know the meaning of race, gender,
sexuality, community, and intersectionality
V
Procedural:
Do BGUMS know how to navigate challenges and
stereotypes on campus?
NV
Metacognitive:
DO BGUMS know how to self-reflect on what their
needs are that impact their sense of belonging
V

Table 9
Field of Practice Validation of Motivation Influences
Assumed Motivation Influences Validated, or Not validated
Self-Efficacy:
BGUMS Need to believe they can have a positive impact
on the Organizational culture in regard to co-creation of
inclusion practices
V
Self-Efficacy:
BGUMS need to believe they can persist through college NV
Expectancy-Value:
BGUMS need to believe they can be active participants in
the work of belonging
V

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Table 10
Field of Practice Validation of Organization Influences
Assumed Organization Influences Validated, or Not validated
Cultural Model:
The organizations need to value a shared understanding of
what the expectations are between the BGUMS and the
D&I administrators
V
Cultural Setting:
The organization needs to provide resources to BGUMS to
create an effective sense of belonging
V

In summary, BGUMS provided clear evidence of knowledge, motivation, and
organization gaps that explain why there is an organization goal of providing resources to
support the sense of belonging for BGUMS. The organizational goal is essential to creating
equitable access to successful persistence within the institution. The final section of this
dissertation will provide recommendations, implementation strategy, and evaluation plan for
relevant knowledge, motivation, and organization influences.

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Chapter Five: Recommendations
The findings section included assumed knowledge, motivation, and organization
influences regarding the sense of belonging for BGUMS and how that ultimately impacted their
persistence. Clark and Estes’s (2008) gap analysis was leveraged to provide recommendations
for practice to address the gaps that were validated in the study. The following research question
guided this study:
1. What are the campus influences and support systems, if any, that would help Black gay
undergraduate male students (BGUMS) feel a greater sense of belonging to help them
persist to graduation?
Recommendations for Practice for KMO Influences
Knowledge Recommendations
This phenomenological study identified three types of knowledge influences: factual,
procedural, and metacognitive. Krathwohl (2002) described factual knowledge as elements
required for students to know to help solve a problem, procedural knowledge is the methods or
how to do something, and metacognitive is the awareness of one’s own cognition. Table 11
highlights the validated knowledge influences, context-specific recommendations, and principles
that inform how to address the gaps in influences.

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Table 11
Summary of Knowledge Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Knowledge
Influence
Validated as a Gap?
Yes, High
Probability or No
(Y, HP, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
BGUMS need to
know the meaning of
race, sexuality,
gender, community
and intersectionality
(Factual)

Y
Double loop learning
leveraged for
transformation in
how these terms are
viewed and used in
learning
(Cartwright, 2002)
Provide training on
the meaning
intersectionality and
community to assist
in BGUMS ability to
identify how they
impact their sense of
belonging
Do BGUMS know
how to navigate
challenges and
stereotypes on
campus
(Procedural)

N

Do BGUMS know
how to self-reflect on
what their needs are
that impact their
sense of belonging
(Metacognitive)

Y
Accessing mental
health as a means of
assisting the self-
reflection navigation
of the needs that
impact BGUMS
sense of belonging
(Graham et al., 2009)
Establish a cohort of
on campus mental
health professionals
that have expertise
with Black gay/queer
experiences

Providing Education on the Meaning of Community and Intersectionality
The findings indicated that 100% of participants shared that they did not feel a sense of
community as Black gay men. Each participant indicated that parts of their identity informed
their community belonging and not their intersectional identities. The recommendation to close
this factual gap is to provide education on the meaning of community and intersectionality.
Research suggests that students' multiple and interlocking identities must be acknowledged for
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there to be progress in sense of belonging (Guthrie & Chunoo, 2018). Clark and Estes (2008)
noted that education in which people acquire strategic knowledge enhances the ability to
accomplish a goal. The findings indicated that community was essential to fostering a sense of
belonging for BGUMS, and knowing how their identities intersect is vital for the environment to
celebrate them as a whole. Based on this, there lies an opportunity to understand important terms
through facilitated sessions focused on D&I terminology.
Establish a Cohort of On-Campus Mental Health Professionals
The study found that 75% of respondents shared that their undergraduate experience was
highlighted by their sexual identity process and confirmation and not knowing how to navigate
it. The recommendation to close this metacognitive gap is to establish a cohort of mental health
professionals with Black gay/queer experiences. Literature speaks to the need for mental health
resources being available that specifically specialize in Black gay/queer experiences for Black
gay men to seek help navigating the nuances of their identities (Graham et al., 2009). Duncan
(2003) found that Black men historically do not seek mental health professionals until they are at
their breaking point, and there are limitations in the literature that speak to the failure of
investigating the internal reasons why Black men, in particular, do not seek mental health
support. Assisting BGUMS in self-reflecting on their personal identity work is a gap that mental
health professionals can address. Ibarra and Barbulescu (2010) defined identity work as people’s
ability to form, repair, maintain, revise, or strengthen their identities. A cohort of mental health
specialists will add to the resources available to impact sense of belonging for BGUMS.
Motivation Recommendations
Clark and Estes (2008) highlighted motivation as the thing that moves people to act, how
much effort should be given, and what ultimately makes people keep going. Clark and Estes also
spoke to three motivational “index” problems: when people choose to act or not act on a work
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goal, when people have too many goals or may be distracted, and when people are pursuing a
goal. Bandura (2000) defines self-efficacy of motivation as an individual’s belief that they can
achieve a goal or a task. Expectancy-value theory is a framework that looks at how expectancies,
values, and determinants inform persistence, performance, and choice (Wigfield & Cambria,
2010). Table 12 below highlights the validated motivation influences, context-specific
recommendations, and principles that inform how to address the gaps in influences.

Table 12
Summary of Motivation Influences and Recommendations
Assumed Motivation
Influence
Validated as a
Gap?
Yes, High
Probability or No
(Y, HP, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
BGUMS need to believe
they can have a positive
impact on the
organizational culture in
regard to the co-creation
of inclusion practices

(Self-efficacy)

Y
Active engagement
of Black male
undergraduate
students develops
strong Black identity
which fosters
productivity (Guthrie
& Chunoo, 2018)
Identify opportunities
for BGUMS to
contribute to the
inclusion strategy
BGUMS need to believe
they can persist through
college

(Self-efficacy)

N

BGUMS need to believe
they can be active
participants in the work
of belonging for
themselves and other
BGUMS

(Expectancy-value)

Y
Peer-to-peer
mentoring is a
contributing factor to
degree attainment
(Brooms & Davis,
2017)
Establish peer-to-
peer mentoring
program that centers
Black gay men

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Identify Opportunities for BGUMS to Contribute to the Inclusion Strategy
Out of all of the participants, 50% spoke to wanting to advocate for the sense of
belonging for other students with staff and administrators. However, only 38% believed they
could have a positive impact on sense of belonging for BGUMS specifically. The
recommendation to fill this self-efficacy motivation gap is to identify and create opportunities to
contribute to the planning of the overall inclusion strategy of the organization. Gutherie and
Chunoo (2018) stated that Black male undergraduate students receive numerous benefits by
active engagement inclusive of political, social, psychological, and personal. These benefits
could be reaffirmed if there are opportunities for BGUMS to sit at decision-making tables where
policy and strategy creation take place. Clark and Estes (2008) spoke to different strategies that
could be leveraged for BGUMS’ confidence in their belief that they can have a positive impact
on the organizational culture. Specifically, assigning specific, short-term, and achievable goals in
inclusion strategy development will provide BGUMS a sense of ownership (Clark & Estes,
2008). Based on this recommendation, institutions can bring BGUMS into the planning and
implementation of the inclusion strategy, specifically around resource allocation that happens
yearly.
Establish Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program That Centers Black Gay Men
Clark and Estes (2008) highlighted team confidence and the impact that, if leveraged
correctly, it can have on accomplishing a goal. The recommendation to fill the expectancy-value
motivation gap for BGUMS to believe they can be active participants in the work of belonging is
to establish a peer-to-peer mentoring program that centers Black gay men. Brooms and Davis
(2017) found that peer-to-peer mentoring contributes to degree completion for the African
American student population. Brooms et al. (2021) noted that Black men view mentorship as a
means to share their journeys with someone who shares similar experiences and is able to help
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position others for personal and educational success. The recommendation of establishing a peer-
to-peer mentoring program will rely on dedicated people and financial resources for this program
to come into fruition and be sustained over time.
Organization Recommendations
Clark and Estes (2008) described organizations’ culture as who they are, what they value,
and what they do as an organization. Schein (2017) spoke to the importance of cross-cultural
learning and how everyone must critically assess that each member of a culture has their beliefs
and values that speak to the way they do things. Table 13 highlights the validated organization
influences, context-specific recommendations, and principles that inform how to address the
gaps in influences.

Table 13
Summary of Organization Influences and Recommendations
Assumed
Organization
Influence
Validated as a Gap?
Yes, High
Probability or No
(Y, HP, N)
Principle and
Citation
Context-Specific
Recommendation
The organization
needs to value a
shared understanding
of what the
expectations are
between the
BGUMS, D&I
administrators, and
the organization.

Y
Summer bridge
programs are created
to prepare
participants for the
college environment
with cognitive and
affective components
(Slade et al., 2015).
Create a summer
bridge program that
includes curriculum
that speaks to
sexuality and sense
of belonging.
The organization
needs to provide
resources to BGUMS
to create an effective
sense of belonging.

Y
Learning culture
should be embraced
by stakeholders for
organizational
change to take place
(Schein, 2018).
Black Student
Success Center and
LGBTIQ Center co-
create programs with
BGUMS that focuses
on intersectionality.
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Create a Summer Bridge Program
Out of the study participant group, 75% stated that they did not initially have any
expectations of the D&I administrators. However, after reflecting on their undergraduate careers,
100% of the participants shared that they should have had expectations of these administrators as
it pertained to cultivating their sense of belonging. The recommendation to address the cultural
model organization gap is to establish a summer bridge program that employs a curriculum that
speaks to sexuality and sense of belonging. Slade et al. (2015) stated that summer bridge
programs were created to prepare its participants for the college environment with cognitive and
affective components. By having curriculum components such as sexuality and sense of
belonging, Schein (2018) highlighted that these conversations allow for the macro culture to be
assessed and how it differs from personal cultures that individuals might have. This environment
hopefully will cultivate meaningful conversations around expectations that the stakeholders have
of each other.
Black Student Success Center and LGBTIQ Center co-create programs with BGUMS
All participants indicated they did not have a resource that supported their Black gay
male identity as a whole. The recommendation to fill this cultural setting organization gap is to
bring the Black student success center and LGBTIQ centers together to co-create programs with
BGUMS that focus on their intersectional identities. Schein (2018) notes that organizations
should embrace being a learning organization so that growth can take place. The co-creation
session would provide an opportunity to create programming specifically for BGUMS and
provide space for teaching and learning to take place across specialized centers that support
students.

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Integrated Implementation and Evaluation Plan
Implementation and Evaluation Framework
The New World Kirkpatrick Model (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016) will be leveraged
to carry out the implementation and evaluation framework. This framework uses four levels in
reverse order to use when planning a program. The four levels that make up this framework are
reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) stated that using this
framework in reverse order enables there to be a focus on the program outcome that is influenced
by improved on-the-job performance.
Level 4 (Results) is the beginning of the evaluation process of this framework, which
speaks to sustained existence and success. Level 3 (Behavior) outlines the application of what
was learned throughout the training that leads to accomplishing a specific goal. Level 2
(Learning) refers to the acquisition of learned knowledge and skills gleaned from the training.
Lastly, Level 1 (Reaction) is the extent of participants feelings toward the training in terms of it
being favorable, engaging, and relevant to their role (Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2016)
Level 4: Results and Leading Indicators
Table 14 shows the projected Level 4 external and internal outcomes informed by the
associated methods of measurement and metrics. External outcomes informed by external
observations speak to information that is gleaned outside of higher education institutions.
Contrastingly, internal outcomes and observations originate within the organization. The result
of the internal and external outcomes being met would be increased persistence of BGUMS at
higher education institutions.

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Table 14
Outcomes, Metrics, and Methods for External and Internal Outcomes
Outcomes Metric(s) Method(s)
External Outcomes
Increased interest in BGUMS
wanting to attend higher
education institutions
The number of Black gay
men who apply to higher
education institutions
Yearly check on number of
admission applications
submitted
Recognition for being an
institution of choice for
BGUMS
Number of awards and/or
acknowledgments received
for diversity and inclusion
efforts
Public recognition from
diversity and inclusion
organizations
Internal Outcomes
Increased persistence of
BGUMS at higher education
institutions
Number of BGUMS who
persist on a yearly basis
Undergraduate student data
via Academic Affairs Office
Increased representation of
BGUMS among the
undergraduate population
Number of BGUMS who
enter higher education
institutions
Admissions data

Level 3: Behavior
Critical Behaviors
This study was a phenomenological examination of BGUMS’ experiences that informed
their sense of belonging in higher education. This population requires critical behaviors to ensure
the organizational goal is reached. The first critical behavior needed is the ability to articulate
their needs in support of their sense of belonging. The second critical behavior is BGUMS’
ability to hold D&I administrators accountable to creating a sense of belonging. Lastly, BGUMS
should have the ability to co-create D&I strategies with D&I administrators. Table 15 provides
the specific critical behaviors, metrics, methods, and timing.

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Table 15
Critical Behaviors, Metrics, Methods, and Timing for Evaluation
Critical behavior Metric(s) Method(s) Timing
1. BGUMS ability to
articulate what
their needs are that
support their sense
of belonging
Number of insights
captured and actions
activated
Monthly check in’s
with diversity and
inclusion
administrators
Monthly
2. BGUMS ability to
hold diversity and
inclusion
administrators
accountable to
creating a sense of
belonging
Number of
benchmarks achieved
and shared with
stakeholders
Establish measurable
benchmarks
internally and
externally
Quarterly
3. Ability to co-
create diversity
and inclusion
strategies with
diversity and
inclusion
administrators
Number of times
BGUMS are involved
in the strategy
creation process
Set yearly goals of
creating and sharing
publicly diversity and
inclusion strategies
that support BGUMS
Yearly

Required Drivers
Critical behaviors require reinforcement to be present for the goal to be achieved.
Offering intentional support to BGUMS in their effort to influence the organization is another
important aspect. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) also stated that when evaluation and
training take place, there should also be encouragement as well as rewards. Table 16 outlines the
recommended essential drivers that support BGUMS.

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Table 16
Required Drivers to Support Critical Behaviors
Method(s) Timing Critical behaviors
supported
Reinforcing
Peer-to-peer accountability
groups
Bi-weekly 1, 2, 3
Provide access to best
practices toolkit
Continuous access
(stored on shared drive)
1, 2, 3
Encouraging
Diversity and inclusion
administrators recommend
BGUMS for various student
representative opportunities
Quarterly 1, 2, 3
Feedback from diversity and
inclusion administrators
Quarterly 1, 2, 3
Rewarding
Provide incentives for being
actively involved in creation
of institutional strategy co-
creation
Annually 2, 3
Acknowledgment in public
publications of diversity and
inclusion strategy
Annually 3
Monitoring
Analysis of programming
specifically for BGUMS
Annually 1, 2, 3
Transparency of resource
allocation
Annually 2

Organizational Support
To make certain that BGUMS have what they need specifically, the D&I administrators
in the cultural centers and LGBTIQ+ centers need to provide ongoing support through
developmental opportunities to promote confidence in BGUMS’ ability to be involved in
strengthening their sense of belonging. In addition, the organization should also provide
sufficient financial and people resources to ensure that the organizational goals can be reached.
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Finally, accountability measures should be embedded throughout the process to safeguard
against the goals not being achieved.
Level 2: Learning
Learning Goals
Following the completion of the recommended solutions, BGUMS will be able to
1. Be active participants in the creation of programs and resources that support their sense
of belonging (Declarative)
2. Be advocates for other BGUMS (Procedural)
3. Apply the knowledge and skill obtained to influence programming cadence
(Metacognitive)
4. Refer to best practices provided by professional student affairs databases (Procedural)
5. Deconstruct stereotypes and barriers to their persistence (Metacognitive)
6. Serve as mentors to other BGUMS and potential BGUMS (Procedural)
7. Definitively relay their support needs (Declarative)
Program
The learning goals listed in the previous section will be achieved through the Bridging the
Gap program, which is a cohort-based program that identifies the sense of belonging gaps for
BGUMS and develops strategies from the learnings. The program has three main components:
pre-emersion, emersion, and post-emersion. Pre-immersion will leverage a summer bridge
program to highlight the needs of BGUMS. Immersion will employ synchronous workshops and
courses that are built based on the needs of the cohort. Finally, the post immersion will analyze
the knowledge and skills obtained and provide the next steps for the participants. The primary
elements of the Bridging the Gap program are
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● Cohort-based community formulation which leverages peer-to-peer mentoring (Cultural
Setting)
● A needs assessment that captures knowledge of the meaning of community,
intersectionality, gender, and sexuality (Factual Knowledge)
● Facilitated training on workshop creation, community building, mental health, and study
skills (Procedural Knowledge, Cultural Setting)
● Synchronous workshops with other BGUMS from around the country focused on
community and advocacy building (Cultural Setting, Cultural Model)
● Self-reflection dedicated time that allows participants to write down experiences and
expectations of themselves and others (Metacognitive)
Components of Learning
Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) highlight five learning components: knowledge, skill,
attitude, confidence, and commitment. Procedural and declarative knowledge are essential to
addressing the identified gaps. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the learning for both. Lastly,
participants must be confident and value the application of their knowledge and skills. Table 17
lists the evaluation methods and timing for these components of learning.

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Table 17
Evaluation of the Components of Learning for the Program
Method(s) or Activity(ies) Timing
Declarative Knowledge “I know it.”
Knowledge checks of meaning of community,
intersectionality, gender, and sexuality
During synchronous workshops
Discussion about stereotypes and challenges
of BGUMS
Monthly throughout the duration of the
program
Procedural Skills “I can do it right now.”
Practice being advocates for other BGUMS During peer-to-peer mentoring and
throughout the year
Attitude “I believe this is worthwhile.”
Discussions on why sense of belonging is
important to persistence
During synchronous workshops
Confidence “I think I can do it.”
Discussions following practice with peers After peer-to-peer mentoring sessions
Commitment “I will do it”
Accountability assignments between peer-to-
peer mentoring groups
After peer-to-peer mentoring
Creation of step by step plan During synchronous workshops

Level 1: Reaction
Finally, Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) outline Level 1 as the participants’ reactions
to the recommended training program. BGUMS’ reactions are segmented into three categories:
customer satisfaction, engagement, and relevance. Table 18 provides an overview of the
components of measurement for BGUMS reactions to the program.

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Table 18
Components to Measure Reactions to the Program
Method(s) or Tool(s) Timing
Engagement
Attendance at synchronous
workshops/sessions
Ongoing
BGUMS feedback and comments Immediately after each training session
Relevance
Peer-to-Peer mentoring check-ins Throughout the asynchronous session
BGUMS response to the needs assessment
measuring knowledge of community,
intersectionality, gender, and sexuality
Immediately after each asynchronous session
Customer Satisfaction
Session evaluation Immediately after each asynchronous session
Learner confidence check 30/60/90 days post training
Facilitator Check In Ongoing

Evaluation Tools
Immediately Following the Program Implementation
Facilitators will provide consistent opportunities for participants to reflect on their sense
of belonging and what their needs may be. After each session, the facilitator will encourage
participants to have conversations with their peer mentor focused on the learning material
presented. Each session is intentional in meaningful engagement for participants to provide real-
time feedback on their experiences in the program and its impact on their sense of belonging.
The ability to share feedback after each synchronous session will satisfy Level 1 evaluation
criteria which will assist the facilitator in ensuring that the concepts and knowledge obtained are
able to be put into practice. Level 2 evaluation criteria will be satisfied by administering a survey
that captures the learning that took place in the synchronous sessions. Table 19 provides sample
questions that would be included in the survey
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Table 19
Sample Questions for End of Program Survey
Kirkpatrick Level Type of question Sample questions
2 Likert Scale:
-Strongly Agree
-Agree
-Disagree
-Strongly Disagree
We want to improve the Bridging the Gap
program, please share with us your experience:
a) The content provided was relevant to the
institution culture
b) My expectations of the program were
met.
c) Peer-to-peer mentoring assisted in my
learning.
d) I would encourage others to participate in
the program
2 Likert Scale:
-Strongly Agree
-Agree
-Disagree
-Strongly Disagree
Did the content provided in the Bridging the Gap
program assist each of the following?
a) Increased my awareness around the
impact of sense of belonging on
persistence.
b) Helped me identify my needs.
c) Made me more confident in holding
diversity and inclusion administrators
accountable.
d) Made me more confident in how to
navigate stereotypes and challenges.
e) Made me more comfortable speaking up
publicly about what impacts my sense of
belonging

Delayed for a Period After the Program Implementation
Approximately 30 days after the conclusion of the program, a survey will be sent out via
email. Kirkpatrick and Kirkpatrick (2016) suggest that Level 1 measurement is delayed to give
the participants the opportunity to apply what they learned. The survey will investigate if the
participants were satisfied with the content, their perspectives, and the relevance of the training
(Level 1). In addition, the survey will also measure the participants' confidence in the application
and value of the training (Level 2). Finally, the survey will measure the application of the
86

training to participants' ability to impact their sense of belonging. Table 20 provides sample
questions that would be included in the survey.

Table 20
Sample Questions for Post-Program Survey
Kirkpatrick level Type of question Sample questions
1 Likert Scale:
-A Great Deal
-Moderately
-Slightly
-Not at All
My participation in the Bridging the Gap
program impacted the following?

My participation in the program:
a) Helped me understand how to influence
my sense of belonging.
b) I was able to implement what I learned
in my day-to-day life.
2 Open-ended Describe what has been the most helpful
concept you have learned and what has been the
least helpful?
3 Open-ended Describe how your attitude towards having a
sense of belonging has shifted or not in terms of
how you persist through college.
4 Open-ended What is the likelihood you will encourage other
BGUMS to be involved in impacted sense of
belonging initiatives?

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Data Analysis and Reporting
Transparent dialogue is essential to building a diverse and inclusive learning
environment. The Level 4 goal of increasing representation and persistence of BGUMS will be
measured by comparing the representation and persistence data provided by institutions’
undergraduate office of data and analytics. Each year the data will be pulled to compare year-
over-year shifts in data. Level 3, Level 2, and Level 1 goals will be evaluated in a cadence of
yearly, monthly, and session-based data collection. The data obtained will be compiled into an
internal report that will receive feedback from the participants. Once the feedback is incorporated
into the report, the findings will be shared more broadly with the organization’s community,
including D&I administrators in culturally specific offices and LGBTIQ+ centers and student
affairs executive administrators.
Summary
Clark and Estes’s (2008) KMO framework was used to identify the knowledge,
motivation, and organization influences that impacted the sense of belonging of BGUMS and
their ultimate goal of persisting in college. The KMO framework was leveraged in the study to
identify gaps which gleaned four main themes:
1. Identity process and confirmation – the process of BGUMS becoming comfortable as
Black gay men at their university
2. Community – having access to a group of individuals who shared similar experiences
3. Persistence – what parts of their identity informed their degree completion
4. Resources – what support mechanisms are in place to strengthening the sense of
belonging for BGUMS
The KMO framework provided an opportunity to identify and propose gap solutions to
inform what BGUMS can do personally in their journey to find a greater sense of belonging.
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Coupled with that were solutions that institutions can leverage to strengthen the sense of
belonging for BGUMS as well. Even though the KMO framework provided a foundation for
solutions, all higher education institutions must be intentional in seeing the student as a whole.
BGUMS have a unique set of barriers that impact their sense of belonging and will require
cultural centers and LGBTIQ+ Centers. Other stakeholders in higher education must work
together to address and remove as many of the barriers as possible to help facilitate the sense of
belonging and ultimate persistence of BGUMS.
Limitations and Delimitations
There were a number of limitations present in this study. First, the study site informed me
that I could not study their undergraduate student population due to fear of research subject
fatigue. Due to this decision, I pivoted the study criteria from BGUMS at Khufu University to
BGUMS alumni of any four-year university/college. Second, the sample was small (N = 8). After
restructuring the study criteria, there were few individuals who agreed to participate in the study.
I conducted expansive outreach to invite individuals to participate in the study, but only eight
were interviewed. In a number of cases, potential participants either stopped responding to
correspondence to set up the interview time and date, or they did not show up for their
interviews. Another limitation was informed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused
scheduling limitations of interview date and time availability and technology fatigue that
contributed to individuals’ willingness to agree to participate.
The delimitations included only focusing on BGUMS at only five universities instead of
a greater number. For there to be a greater sense of the larger community, other university types
and where they are located should be an option for future research. Another delimitation is
limiting the participants to those who are alumni and not current undergraduate students. The
undergraduate experience is foundational to the development of students and their future
89

academic pursuits. Maxwell (2013) found that using existing research can be advantageous to
qualitative research. There is limited research on BGUMS; therefore, there is an opportunity for
this research area to expand and could be leveraged to inform how higher education institutions
support this group.
Recommendations for Future Research
This study focused on uncovering and understanding the experiences of BGUMS who are
now alumni and how they experienced a sense of belonging at their institutions to inform higher
education and its stakeholders on how to better support this group to persist. First, many themes
contribute to BGUMS’ sense of belonging. Second, there are opportunities for research to delve
deeper into how Black gay men navigate their sexual orientation identity process and how their
pre-collegiate experiences inform that process. Third, it is important to understand what pre-
collegiate experiences impact how Black gay men enter college, such as familial non-
support/support of their sexual identity and socioeconomic status. Fourth, participants reflected
on the need for there to be more resources on campus that support and advocate for their
intersectional identities.
For these reason, I recommend a best practices study of institutions with resources in
place to support BGUMS. This study should include different university types to ground the
study in how different university types (private vs. public) have access to varying types and
levels of resources. Institutions should do their due diligence to create spaces in which
administrators are knowledgeable about intersectionality and how it informs students'
experiences. There are many opportunities for institutions to become more welcoming to
BGUMS specifically, which includes speaking to the many identities that Black men hold during
admission programs/sessions and summer bridge programs and providing mental health support
for individuals who are still determining what their sexuality means to them. Lastly, for BGUMS
90

to fully be authentically themselves, it is necessary for administrators to be knowledgeable and
affirm and celebrate the students in their wholeness.
Conclusion
To support these students fully in their quest to find a sense of belonging, institutions of
higher education need to provide resources, inclusive of staff to support BGUMS in the
classroom and out of the classroom. The ultimate goal of higher education is to provide a
foundation of learning and co-curricular experiences that prepare students to be valuable citizens
of the world. Preparing BGUMS for this goal will require institutions to listen to their needs,
advocate on their behalf, address the barriers to persistence, and create a sense of belonging for
them to thrive.
Gutherie and Chunoo (2018) stated, “Preparing students as leaders has been a long-
standing goal of American higher education; however, it is time to reclaim higher education’s
purpose in leadership development with focused attention on socially just leadership education”
(p. 1). Preparing students to be socially just leaders in a changing world should be at the core of
higher education. For that to happen, there must be a learning and unlearning of biases about
different student groups. BGUMS come to higher education institutions holding multiple
marginalized identities, and it is the responsibility of universities, inclusive of faculty/staff, to be
competent in how to support this group. Beyond this dissertation, it is advantageous for there to
be intentional efforts around supporting BGUMS as their whole self and not just the racial or
sexual orientation identities. BGUMS are depending on us to be agents of change and provide
the tools for them to become agents of change also.

91

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Appendix A: Interview Protocol
Introduction
Thank you for taking the time out to meet with me today. I’m a doctoral student at the University
of Southern California and I am studying belonging of Black gay undergraduate male students. I
am interested in your experiences being a Black gay male undergraduate student and how that
influences your sense of belonging. My hope is to use this information to inform what strategies,
resources, and support that you need to feel that sense of belonging. Anything you tell me will
remain anonymous. I will not attribute anything you say to you by name. You may choose to
skip any question and you may end this interview at any time. The total time should take no
longer than 1 hour. What questions do you have for me before we begin?
Do you mind if I record our interview? I will destroy the recording once I’ve finished my study.
Any questions?

106

Interview Questions

1. How do your identities shape your day-to-day life and sense of belonging?

2. What experiences/challenges have you had as someone who identifies as a Black
undergraduate male?

3. What experiences/challenges have you had being a Black gay undergraduate male at your
University?

4. Where do you find support and resources on campus being a Black gay male?

5. What does community mean for you? How does it look like for you? Have you found
community at your institution? If so, with who?

6. What aspects of your identity do you think about first when you try and find a sense of
belonging? Do any of these impede your sense of belonging

7.
8. How have you navigated the stereotypes, if any regarding the identities that you
hold?(i.e.. Black, Black male, Black gay male)?

9. Why do you believe you can have a positive impact on the sense of belonging for other
BGUMS? If so what, if not, why not? What type of impact do you think you can have?

10. What motivates you to persist through college each day? Do your identities play a role in
that persistence?

107

Appendix B: Email to Participants
E-mail Text
Hello,
My name is Brent Obleton (He, Him, His). I’m a doctoral student at the University of Southern
California and I am studying belonging of Black gay undergraduate male students. I am seeking
out self-identified Black gay undergraduate male students to share their experiences being a
Black gay male undergraduate student and how that influences your sense of belonging. My
hope is to use this information to inform what strategies, resources, and support is needed to
enhance that sense of belonging. Anything you share will remain anonymous. I will not attribute
anything you say to you by name. You may choose to skip any questions during the interview
and you may end the interview at any time. The total time should take no longer than 1 hour. By
agreeing to participate in this study, you will also receive a $20 gift card as a thank you. Please
e-mail me at obleton@usc.edu if you are interested in participating in this study.

Thank you,

Brent Obleton

108

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Asset Metadata

Creator Obleton, Brent M. (author)

Core Title Belonging: interplay of race and sexuality with Black gay undergraduate male students

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Organizational Change and Leadership (On Line)

Publication Date 04/28/2021

Defense Date 04/05/2021

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag belonging,Black gay men,Black men,OAI-PMH Harvest,Race,sexuality

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Canny, Eric (committee chair), Robles, Darline (committee member), Tambascia, Tracy (committee member)

Creator Email bmo6386@gmail.com,obleton@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-455933

Unique identifier UC11668697

Identifier etd-ObletonBre-9565.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-455933 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-ObletonBre-9565.pdf

Dmrecord 455933

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Obleton, Brent M.

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

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