| Black male student athletes who attend Predominantly White Institutions or PWIs (Esposito, 2011) are afforded an opportunity to represent the institution through competitive sports; yet, they face many academic and personal challenges while they are doing so. Although much literature exists that examines the experiences of Black male student athletes and the forms of discrimination and racism they encounter, there is still a need for in-depth qualitative research that focuses on the daily lived experiences of Black male students and the different spaces they occupy at their PWI. Moreover, more exploration is needed into how the subjectivities they encounter within the spaces at their PWI constitute their identities. Within this research study, Black male athletes share their personal experiences of attending a PWI and occupying different spaces at the institution. Furthermore, their lived experiences (Ladson-Billings, 2009) offer insight into how they negotiate being a person of color at a PWI who is often praised for his athletic talents; yet at times he finds himself living as an racialized (Smith, Yosso & Solorzano, 2007) person because of his skin color. |
