“I Wish I Wasn’t the Only One”: Understanding the Racialized Experiences of Graduate Students of Color in the Humanities

This phenomenological study seeks to explore the racialized educational experiences of graduate students of color (GSOC) seeking degrees in humanities disciplines. Using Critical Race Theory, this investigation sheds light on the lived experiences, inside and outside the classroom, of minoritized graduate students as they navigate their educational environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of nine graduate students who were selected through purposive sampling to participate in the study. The findings support and extend the literature examining the educational experiences of graduate minority students in higher education. Implications are discussed, as are best practices for faculty and educational administrators to better support and address the racialized encounters experienced during graduate study for minoritized students of color.