Socially But Not Spiritually Distant: Narratives of Black Graduate Students in a Virtual Faith-Affirming Community

Black graduate students attending historically white institutions often endure racially hostile and unwelcoming campus climates that present barriers to their socialization and overall student success. Yearning for refuge in anti-Black educational spaces, Black graduate students often turn to their faith, spirituality, and student-led communities as mechanisms for support. However, some Black students face challenges in finding spiritual spaces and community, which can be both inviting and isolating for Black students who often exist on the margins of the margins. This narrative inquiry study centered on 6 Black graduate students who described their experience and participation in a national virtual faith affirming community. Findings revealed how students made meaning of their faith, the role of community in providing holistic care and safety while attending historically white institutions, and the sense of inherent worth, kinship, and connection provided that is in direct resistance to antiblackness often present in their experiences in higher education.