Beyond the Black Horizon

Although U.S. colleges and universities continue to discuss creative ways to increase the number of African American collegians participating in study abroad, this research is limited when revealing the unique perspectives of African American collegians who have studied abroad. Traditionally an emphasis on program success has been placed on the quantity of study abroad participants rather than the quality of African American student support and engagement; the personal reflections through the lens of African American race and identity are often overlooked. A series of culturally responsive, guided interviews were conducted with African American collegians from a variety of institutions across the United States, to learn their perspectives on their study abroad experiences. This research reveals that culturally responsive mentoring and guidance are valuable in helping African American collegians deconstruct or make sense out of their study abroad experiences, both during and upon reentry. Also, African American collegians use the method of finding “home abroad” as an important coping tool for support, social adjustment, and cultural validation. Combined, these findings suggest that African American collegians who have studied abroad benefit from culturally guided reflection and learning experiences in which their race and identity are taken into consideration. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As we journey through life, sometimes with passports in hand, there are numerous people who awaken, protect, and guide us to reach our destinations. I would like to thank some of the people who helped make this amazingly emotional, spiritual, and scholarly journey possible. To Bahari, thank you for giving me hope. To the amazing global brothers and sisters, thank you for trusting me, and for honoring me with the pleasure of hearing your international adventures. To my dissertation committee chair, Dr. Lesley Bogad, I am so appreciative of your friendship, unwavering support, balanced guidance, and enthusiasm towards my research throughout this entire process. To my committee members, Drs. Katie Branch, Susan Trostle Brand, Mustafa Ozcan, and Leslie Schuster, I thank you for your insights and suggestions that helped enrich my research. To my parents, Ricardo and Rosetta, thank you for your rich discussions and for introducing me to a lifelong love of international travel, for deciding to purchase plane tickets instead of a plethora of toys during holidays. To Luda, my amazing global partner, for your patience, understanding, and support throughout this process; thank you, spasiba, and asante sana cannot express my appreciation for your commitment to my success. To Yemaya, you inspire me; continue to explore the world with joy and never-ending curiosity. To my aunt Ethel Reid Lee, your prayers and support are always a blessing. To Dr. Wagner Marseille, thank you for helping to me remember that the highest hurdles in life are sometimes in the marathons and not the sprints; I truly appreciate your brotherhood and relentless words of encouragement. All of you remind me how fortunate I am to have such amazing people in my life. To Evelyn Reid Syphax, Mansa Abubakari II, Bessie Coleman, Anna Julia Cooper, Harry Haywood, Colonel John Robinson, Paul Robeson, George Washington Williams, Rayford Logan, Ralph Bunche, James Baldwin, W.E.B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, William Pinkney, Pete O‘Neal, Donald Craig, Glen Van Henry, and others who dared to explore the world before me, may your spirits continue to inspire others to fly beyond the Black horizon. Awaken the sleep, protect the weak, and guide the strong. Thank you. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSiv TABLE OF CONTENTSS v Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 1 Justification for and Significance of the Study 2 What Do We Know About African Americans and Study Abroad? 4 Financing Study Abroad 5 Race and Relationships Matter 6 People of African Ancestry and International Education 7 Post-Slavery African American Travel 10 My Perspective 10 Chapter 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 17 Study Abroad, Race, and Cultural Capital 17 Chapter 3: METHODOLOGY 29 My Positionality 29 Black Feminist Theory 32 Participants 32 Data Collection and Instrumentation 34 Limitations 35 Data Analysis 36 Timeline Overview 38 Introduction to the Data 39 Chapter 4: FINDINGS 40 The Role of the Guide 40 Finding Home Abroad 80 Culturally Responsive, Guided Reflection 128 Chapter 5: CONCLUSION 150 Seeing is Believing 150 Summary of the Study 152 Closure is Missing from Reentry 154 Contributions of the Study 156 A Note to Educators 159 Recommendations for Further Research 160 APPENDIX A: Contacts Helpful in Locating African American Collegians 163 APPENDIX B: PRELIMINARY QUESTIONNAIRE 163 APPENDIX C: Study Abroad Interview Guide 168 APPENDIX D: Context and Factors Influencing African American Collegians‘ Perspectives on Study Abroad 169 APPENDIX E: Participant Study Abroad Locations 169 APPENDIX F: Audio Release Form 170 REFERENCES 172