Journal of College & University Student Housing "Housing While Black" Theme Issue - 58

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Our findings have several implications for practice. Most importantly, residence life
professionals need to recognize that U.S. higher education institutions continue to be
white spaces, even when the diversity of students increases. Higher education's history,
its policies, and the uneven distribution of power shape Black students'-including
Black RAs'-experiences on college and university campuses. To counteract these environments,
residence life professionals need to actively work toward creating inclusive
environments. Departments can do so by acknowledging the additional labor that Black
RAs engage in by supporting Black students in their buildings and providing them with
resources and recognition for this work. Supervisors could engage their staff in conversations
about racism-including how race may shape seemingly innocuous situations
and processes in the department-thus allowing Black RAs to better process their
experiences. Recognizing how white norms shape perceptions of professionalism,
departments should reflect on the standards they communicate to staff. Challenging
white and Black staff members' perceptions of professionalism can help disrupt
norms upheld by our institutions and can provide opportunities for staff to engage
more authentically in their leadership roles.
Our findings also point to the importance of having a Black community that includes
Black peers and supervisors. Hiring not only Black student staff but also professional
staff has to be a priority. As not every Black RA will have a Black supervisor,
Black RAs should also be provided with other ways to access Black mentors or engage
with the Black residence life staff community. To limit the additional labor placed
on Black professionals to serve as mentors (Johnson-Bailey, 2012), white supervisors
should participate in cross-racial mentor training, so they can provide more adequate
support to their Black RAs.
To recruit more Black RAs, departments need to work toward changing the perception
of the RA position as intended for white students. Allowing Black RAs to be
their authentic selves-including changing standards for professionalism within the
department-could make the position more attractive. Having Black members on interview
teams can increase the comfort level of Black candidates. Finally, considering
Black RAs' commitment to supporting Black residents, providing opportunities for
them to engage in this type of work and be recognized for their efforts could make the
position more attractive to them.
CONCLUSION
Our study highlights how race shapes the experiences of Black RAs at an institution
where students of color make up about half of the student population. Despite the
diversity of the student body and RA staff, our participants experienced the institution
as a white space, where they could not be their authentic selves and had to engage in
additional emotional labor to navigate racialized interactions. Our findings point to
the importance of disrupting the norms within these white spaces to create inclusive
campus environments for Black RAs. 
Volume 48, No. 3 * 2022 55

Journal of College & University Student Housing "Housing While Black" Theme Issue

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