Journal of College & University Student Housing "Housing While Black" Theme Issue - 69

Black Women Senior Housing Officers
The limited number of Black women at PWIs meant that their voices were distinct
from the White standard established in the organization. Jessie affirmed that communication
differences were largely based on race and gender.
Because of my race and gender, my communication style is very different [from] most
of my White female colleagues. This has been frustrating for me at times because my
communication style just is not like theirs. It is not wrong; it is just mine.
When reflecting on how others saw her, Yolanda similarly indicated that others' thoughts
about her were likely connected with the way she communicated.
I had a colleague send me an email. When I replied to the email, my response was
labeled as being snarky. I think those kinds of comments, " being snarky " . . . it goes back
to the reality that there are not a lot of me or people like me on this campus.
In Study A, several participants shared stories of being actively dismissed or ignored.
As Sarah noted,
The ability to be able to walk and talk with people from all different places . . . and the
reality of trying to walk in the skin that I'm in and get folks to do what I need them to do
requires a whole lot of manipulation on my part to make things happen.
In order to thrive, she had to be able to speak the language of others in order to
maintain forward progress in her work as a senior housing officer. The ability to be
multilingual across cultures and utilize it to benefit her ultimate goal is a consistent
superpower for Sarah.
There was a level of scrutiny observed across the two studies. While Study A illustrated
the ways that communication styles and patterns were surveilled by the White
organization, Study B expanded upon that to acknowledge the skills of understanding
the maneuvering at play and using it as an advantageous competency.
Who's the Boss? Circumventing Dismissiveness from Whiteness
Participants in the studies were no stranger to microaggressions that showed up when
having their authority challenged or questioned. A failure to acknowledge their role is
one of the most common contexts in which participants described having their authority
challenged. As Marcy noted,
People will still want to invalidate you, after they have vetted you for the position. You
have done the interviews. You have done the presentations. You showed up with the
credentials and the experience, and there will still be those who want to discredit you.
The Black woman senior housing officer is very conscious of her power and
the ways in which she can utilize that to advance others who are underrepresented
in the university setting. . . . Despite the challenges participants faced
on their predominantly White campuses, these women actively chose to
advocate for others.
66 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

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

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