Publication Date

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Interdisciplinary Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Quincy Martin

Second Advisor

Dr. Marlon Cummings

Third Advisor

Dr. Karen Washington

Abstract

This qualitative case study examined how African American alumni at a private, predominantly White institution (PWI) in the Midwest described and interpreted the influence of culturally responsive support spaces on their sense of belonging, academic persistence, and long-term professional development. Culturally responsive support spaces are defined as environments that affirm identity, provide protection, and foster community, offering relational and cultural validation beyond traditional institutional diversity or compliance-based initiatives. Guided by Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Validation Theory (VT), this research examined how alumni interpreted their interactions with these support spaces and how such experiences influenced their academic trajectories and enduring sense of belonging.

The bounded case for this study was contextualized within the historical framework of a private Midwestern PWI and its multicultural affairs programming between 1986 to 2004. Because the Multicultural Affairs Program no longer exists in its original form, alumni perspectives provide the most appropriate lens for understanding its influence over time. Data were gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with nine African American alumni who engaged in culturally responsive support spaces during their undergraduate studies. Alumni represented diverse academic disciplines and professional paths and currently reside in various geographic regions. The interview data were analyzed using an inductive qualitative analytic approach, involving within-case and cross-case analysis to identify recurring themes across alumni narratives.

The findings demonstrate that culturally responsive support spaces functioned as essential sites for validation, relational support, identity affirmation, and academic encouragement. These spaces alleviated racial isolation, supported persistence through academic and social challenges, and contributed to alumni’s long-term meaning-making regarding their undergraduate experiences. This study contributes to the literature on campus racial climate and student support by centering alumni perspectives and highlighting the enduring institutional impact of culturally responsive support spaces within a private PWI context.

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