“You May Encounter Many Defeats, But You Must Not Be Defeated”: BIPOC Students’ Advice on Embodying Resilience and Resistance at PWIs

Objectives: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students encounter many obstacles while attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). This climate, fraught with aggressors (e.g., racist vandalism, harassment, and Black face), has caused BIPOC students to feel unwelcome and unsafe, negatively impacting their mental health and academic performance. However, even in these hostile environments, BIPOC students persist. Given their ability to excel in such oppressive environments, it is important to understand how they persevere. These strategies can also help galvanize persistence among future students. Consequently, the current study foregrounds the collective wisdom and advice of BIPOC students on traversing the racially oppressive atmosphere of PWIs. Method: To this end, 163 BIPOC students attending PWIs nationwide were asked to guide incoming students on how they might build resilience. Two coders analyzed data using a thematic approach and revised based on an auditor’s feedback to identify core ideas. Results: Six themes emerged: Know Thyself; Embrace Your Identities; Listen to Your Body/Listen to Your Mind; It Will Be Difficult, But You Will Persist; Build Your Village; and Be Vocal/Be Visible and Navigate the System. Three additional coders helped apply the Psychological Framework of Radical Healing to these emergent themes to provide a deeper understanding and inform practice and policy recommendations that promote BIPOC student collective healing on campus. Conclusion: These results equip BIPOC students with tools and strategies to cultivate their resilience, resistance, and success amidst a racially oppressive academic environment. Authors provide practice and policy suggestions for universities on better supporting the distinctive needs of BIPOC students at PWIs.