Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

5-2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph. D.

Department

Counseling and Human Development

Degree Program

Counseling and Personnel Services, PhD

Committee Chair

Hirschy, Amy

Committee Member

Longerbeam, Susan

Committee Member

Wallace, Joshusa

Committee Member

Whiteside, Jasmine

Author's Keywords

Black college students; community cultural wealth; grief and loss; storytelling; Critical Race Theory; Predominantly White Institutions.

Abstract

This dissertation examines the intersection of grief, race, and resilience among Black college students navigating grief during the COVID-19 pandemic at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). Through the lens of Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) and employing Narrative Inquiry methodology, this study amplifies the voices of Black students who experienced profound loss during an era marked by both personal grief and societal upheaval. By analyzing their lived experiences, the research reveals how students draw upon cultural assets—such as familial, social, and aspirational capital—to endure and thrive in the face of grief. The study identifies five pivotal themes: personal connection to lost loved ones, grief’s disruption of academic performance, institutional neglect, the power of faith and cultural capital, and the transformative growth that arises from grief. These findings challenge the prevailing deficit models in higher education, offering instead a critical exploration of how Black students utilize community and cultural resources to persist academically and personally. Rooted in Critical Race Theory (CRT), this work critiques the racialized nature of grief and exposes the absence of structured, culturally competent grief support at PWIs. It advocates for the creation of grief-responsive policies that integrate culturally relevant resources, such as spiritual support, peer mentorship, and academic flexibility, into the institutional framework.

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