Antiblackness in the Academy: The Stories of Afro-Caribbean Students Navigating U.S. Higher Education
Antiblackness in the Academy examines how Afro-Caribbean students and alumni describe, interpret, and navigate identity, belonging, campus climate, and experiences that may be connected to antiblackness, racialization, and cultural misrecognition within U.S. higher education.
The study centers the lived experiences and voices of Afro-Caribbean students and alumni to better understand how they make meaning of their educational journeys across institutional, cultural, familial, and diasporic contexts.
Grounded in a community-engaged and diasporic framework, this work recognizes participants as more than research subjects. Participants are knowledge holders, storytellers, and co-theorizers whose reflections can contribute to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of Black life across the Caribbean diaspora.
Your support in sharing approved study flyers and recruitment materials helps extend the reach of this work and uplift Afro-Caribbean stories within and beyond the diaspora.
If your club, organization, or network would like to connect, please fill out this form. Are you a faculty member or interested in learning more or partnering for this work? Please contact faith.northern@nyu.edu.
Project Status: Now Recruiting!
The study is now live and actively recruiting participants. Eligible participants will receive up to $55 in Amazon E-Gift Cards ($15 for completing the survey and $20/per interview) as a small token of thanks, knowing your stories are worth so much more, but offered in the spirit of wanting to reach and honor a wide range of voices and experiences across the Afro-Caribbean diaspora. First, confirm your eligibility below!
How To Begin?
All interested individuals should begin by completing the brief eligibility screener.
Eligible individuals will receive information about the study activities available to them and the next steps for participating.
Who May Participate?
You may be eligible if you:
Are at least 18 years old;
Identify as Afro-Caribbean, Black Caribbean, or as Black with Caribbean cultural, familial, or ancestral ties; and
Currently attend or previously attended a U.S. higher education institution.
Eligible institutions and programs include:
Community colleges and other two-year colleges;
Four-year colleges and universities;
Graduate and professional programs; and
Trade or technical schools.
Alumni, students on leave, and individuals who left college before completing a degree or credential may also participate.
Please contact Faith (faith.northern@nyu.edu) with any questions.
Ways to Participate
Participation is flexible. Eligible participants may choose one or more approved study activities, including:
Afro-Caribbean College Student Experience Survey: A confidential online survey that takes approximately 20–30 minutes and explores identity, cultural background, campus climate, belonging, support systems, and educational experiences.
Semi-Structured Interviews: One or two confidential, one-on-one conversations exploring participants’ life histories, family and migration stories, educational journeys, identity development, campus experiences, and reflections on support, resistance, and belonging. Interview appointments are scheduled privately after eligibility, consent, and any required verification have been completed.
Critical Journaling and Narrative Dropbox: Optional, self-guided opportunities to share written reflections, audio, video, photographs, artwork, poetry, or other creative materials. The Narrative Dropbox form begins with brief eligibility and consent questions, allowing participants to complete the process within one secure form.
IRB Protocol: NYU IRB-FY2025-9378