Rage In (and Out) the Cage: Black Students’ Negotiation of Safety

Abstract

This study explored the dynamic nature of 42 Black undergraduate and graduate students’ senses of safety as it relates to their college campuses due to the shifting vulnerabilities exposed in the current political and societal climate. We sought to make meaning of the pervasive threat to Black students’ safety related to their campus, which is linked to and transcends physical proximity to the campus. This line of inquiry offers the chance to construct a more dynamic understanding of safety than traditionally defined by institutions, which creates avenues for more thoughtful and equitable practice. In this work, we explore (1) how anti-Blackness informs student identities and (2) strategies used to protect against white rage on and off campus. Our findings and analytical approach provide new ways to theorize and strategize policies and practices to ensure Black students’ safety.