deconstructing the black student leadership experience
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Deconstructing the Black Student Leadership Experience. March 14, 2011 Cord McLean – The University of Georgia R. Teresia Greer – Louisiana State University. BLACK. Student. LEADER. What the Literature Says… About Black Students at PWIs. Existence in multiple “spaces” Home community - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
2011 NASPA Annual Conference s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania s March 12–16, 2011
Deconstructing the Black Student Leadership Experience
March 14, 2011Cord McLean – The University of Georgia
R. Teresia Greer – Louisiana State University
LEADER
BLACKStudent
What the Literature Says…About Black Students at PWIs
• Existence in multiple “spaces”– Home community– Smaller Black community on campus– Larger campus community– Society and culture
• Negotiating various (sometimes conflicting) values and expectations
What the Literature Says…About Black Student Issues
• Self-concept and identity integration• Negative assumptions• Hypervisibility• Physical and social isolation• Lack of support
What the Literature Says…About Black Student Involvement
• Cultural communalism– Familiarity, expression, and validation
• Safe space• Source of resistance and persistence• Positive impact on academic and social outcomes• Opportunity to give back
What the Literature Says…About Leadership
Industrial Leadership• Conventional,
hierarchical, exclusive• Partial to systems and
structures• Intentional influence
over others• Reserved for small
subgroup of population
Postindustrial Leadership• Emerging, communal,
relational• Dynamic and change-
oriented• Dependent on quality
relationships with others• Contextual; demonstrated
by anyone at any time
WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS REALLY MEAN?
Future DirectionsFor Black Student Leaders
• Allow yourself the opportunity to integrate YOUR OWN ideals into your self-concept/identity.
• Don’t use cultural familiarity as a defense mechanism.
• Talk about issues that may be attributed to being a Black Student Leader.
• Explore your multiple spaces, and come up with solutions that work for YOU!
Future DirectionsFor Effective Advising
• Increase awareness, knowledge, and skills• Consider relevance of theoretical models• Respect intragroup diversity• Innovate! – Encourage reflection that allows students to
express creative energies.– Champion spaces and programs that redefine this
experience.
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