Black Faculty Relationship Study

Marcus acknowledged that he didn 't always see eye to eye with his White professors, especially due to the position of power that faculty held, but he treated it as a learning experience. He felt that he was often on "opposing sides of the table": All of these interactions shaped a great understanding of how I engaged what I perceived to be power. It gives me a fuller understanding of how to assert my own power. Even if they were in negative situations, I gleaned some sort of lesson from the interactions because of them. But yeah, many of the professors who did not find potential in me were the ones that were not of African descent.
Significant relationships and/or positive interactions with Black or White faculty Although relationships with faculty can be quite intimidating, Black students seem to feel more comfortable building relationships with Black faculty because they can identify racially and some Black faculty tend to make an effort to reach out to Black students to help them navigate at a PWI. Langston mentioned close relationships with Black faculty not only in the Africana …show more content…
Two subthemes have been identified. The first subtheme focuses on the academic and financial challenges specific to this type of institution, which had a significant impact on the undergraduate experiences of Black alumni. Although participants stated that these challenges were beneficial because of the careers gains received upon graduation, these challenges may have affected their self esteem and coping abilities. The second subtheme discusses the appreciation for Cornell and the possible opportunities it provided. Participants felt grateful for the opportunities afforded them for attending an institution like Cornell and viewed it as a learning experience and a lesson in personal