Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” A Qualitative Study Of The Black Male Community, Resilience, And A Sense Of Belonging In The Hispanic Serving Institution (Hsi) Context

Author

• Jason D. Holiday, Prairie View A&M University

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Discipline

Education Leadership

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the experiences of Black male students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), with particular attention to sense of belonging, resilience, and community during the first-year experience. The problem addressed in this study was the limited understanding of how Black men navigated HSIs, where they were often underrepresented, and how institutional environments shaped their persistence and success. While existing literature highlights outcomes for Black male students broadly, there remains a gap in research that centers their lived experiences within HSIs. Guided by the Sense of Belonging Theory and the Resilience Theory, this study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) How do Black male students describe their sense of belonging during the first year at an HSI, (2) How do Black males define resilience and community at a Hispanic Serving Institution and, (3) How do Black males describe factors that influence the academic resilience during the first year at a Hispanic Serving Institution?

Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students and recent alumni attending a public HSI in the southern United States. Participants were selected through purposeful and snowball sampling. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis, which resulted in six major themes: (a) Navigating Cultural Difference, (b) Importance of Targeted Support Programs, (c) Faculty and Staff Relationships as Anchors of Belonging, (d) Social Disconnection and Self-Exclusion, (e) Athletics, Extracurriculars, and Brotherhood as Identity Builders, and (f) Academic Setbacks as Catalysts for Growth.

Findings indicated that sense of belonging was relational and developed through meaningful connections with peers, faculty, and culturally responsive spaces. Resilience emerged as both an individual and a collective process, shaped by internal motivation, community support, and persistence in the face of challenges. The study concluded that institutional support systems, including mentoring programs and culturally affirming initiatives, were critical to enhancing belonging, retention, and overall student success for Black male students at HSIs.

Keywords: hermeneutic phenomenology, qualitative research and Black Males, Hispanic Serving Institution and Black males, Community, Belonging, and Resilience, and Black males

Committee Chair/Advisor

Fred Bonner

Committee Member

William H. Parker

Committee Member

Danny M. Hoey

Committee Member

Justin L. Bryant

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

Date of Digitization

6/15/2026

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Holiday, J. (2026). Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” A Qualitative Study Of The Black Male Community, Resilience, And A Sense Of Belonging In The Hispanic Serving Institution (Hsi) Context. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-dissertations/135