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Free to Be Me?

Black Professors, White Institutions

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona

This study examines the identity negotiation and communication strategies that Black professors employ when interacting in predominantly White institutional settings. Data were collected through a focus group meeting, individual interviews, and surveys. The first sample of participants included eight African American professors (three men and five women) who all taught for the same mid-size, predominantly White institution in the rural southeast. The second sample of participants also included eight Black professors (four male and four female), but they represented five different predominantly White institutions. Findings suggest that Black professors do not negotiate their identities to the extent that they communicate in ways that are significantly different from their normal communication behavior; however, they do communicate in strategic ways in an effort to be viewed as professional, credible, and approachable, by both their colleagues and their students.

Key Words: identity negotiation • communication strategy • Black faculty • Black professors

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