The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3 - 36

Lori D. Patton * Sacha Sharp * Berenice Sánchez

The semantic moves by the commenters
conjure up negative imagery that feed into
narratives of Black people being unworthy and
undeserving of a college education, let alone a
residential space centered on their experiences. Although the commenters may or may not
be part of the campus community, their comments are directed toward UConn and intensify the racial climate on campus.
Other commenters used coded language
to suggest black intellectual inferiority. For
example, one commenter stated,
"These are Affirmative Action students and
UConn admits them, but they fail. The new
"community" buildings won't be any help
unless they employ full-time, one-on-one
tutors so that these students can graduate
with an easy major and a C average. On
average, they are not smart."
This affirmative action language suggests
Black students lack intellectual capacity, are
incapable of academic rigor and any success
they experience is due to handouts. The quote
is rooted in a bootstrap ideology that blames
Black students for academic failures, without
accounting for historical and systemic inequities. The commenter relinquishes any responsibility from the institution by suggesting once
they admit Black students; it is solely up to
them to succeed without supports like UCSH.
Another commenter explained, "Black students are very touchy about stereotypes concerning their mental abilities. It's going to bug them
like crazy if those stereotypes are obviously true."
These comments are not only condescending
in tone, but also indicate the commenter actually knows how or what Black people feel and
what is best for them academically. Furthermore, the quote alludes to the commenters'

belief that stereotypes about Black people are
true. The comments do not blatantly reference
Black people as inferior, nor White people as superior. Instead commenters rely on what King
(1991) defined as dysconscious racism in which
an individual "tacitly accepts dominant white
norms and privileges. It is not the absence of
consciousness (that is, not unconscious) but
an impaired consciousness or distorted way of
thinking about race" (p. 135). In other words,
the commenters assumptions about Black inferiority, are rooted in White superiority.
To summarize, our analysis yielded two
main themes: the first dealing with segregation and the second focusing on stereotypes
and black inferiority. Collectively commenters'
responses to UCSH indicate the general public's disapproval, covertly and blatantly laced
with racist discourses designed to keep Black
students in an inferior status and disempower
them. The commenters relied on racist stereotypes and inaccurate histories to substantiate
their claims. More importantly, their comments reveal how whiteness is reaffirmed
through attempts to degrade blackness. The
commenters did not see (or refused to see)
value in UCSH and its potentially beneficial
outcomes for Black men.

IMPLICATIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
The CDA we conducted has several implications. First, given the literature we highlighted
about institutional failures in addressing Black
students' experiences, colleges and universities have a long way to go toward shifting from
racist to more welcoming campus environments. Little has changed and efforts such as
UCSH are desperately needed.

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 3

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