Thriving Against the Odds: An Examination of Protective Factors to Support African Americans in Counselor Education

African American counselor educators remain underrepresented in CACREP-accredited programs. Prior research highlights unsupportive, unwelcoming, and racist environments within counselor education programs for students and faculty. Reported conditions may contribute to the limited number of African American doctoral graduates entering faculty roles; however, the lack of matriculation warrants further exploration. This phenomenological study explores the experiences of 12 African American counselor educators, focusing on positive influences and protective factors that supported their thriving and advancement despite unfavorable conditions. Four main themes emerged from this study: (1) Advancing Equity and Systemic Change Through Representation, (2) Evolving Networks and Enhanced Belonging, (3) Leveraging Attributes to Overcome Adversity, and (4) Awareness of Visible and Invisible Barriers. Themes are reviewed—framed by the Nguzo Saba principles—along with recommendations to help counselor education programs better support the advancement of African American students.