Date of Award
2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Leadership
First Advisor
Demetri Morgan
Abstract
The struggle against interlocking systems of oppression continues and the battlegrounds for such struggle begin in the soil of the United States of America (Wood, 2019). Power and domination are embedded in the structures of this country, and its institutions are continued sites where the fight for freedom remains. Higher Education is one such institutional site, where Black students - and Black men particularly - encounter dehumanization as a result of pervasive interlocking systems of oppression. Despite this reality and in the face of these challenges, Black men enact various strategies to actively resist harm within predominantly white institutions (PWI). Utilizing qualitative methodologies and with the introduction of the resistance playlists method, this constructivist grounded theory (CGT) study seeks to understand ways Black men come to know and utilize resistance knowledges in predominantly white Higher Education environments. Attending to the purpose of understanding Black men’s resistance knowledge, this study observes the ways Black men enact oppositional behaviors in academic environments to preserve their humanity in pursuit of higher education. The study culminates in the substantive theory known as the Black Men’s Resistance Knowledge (BMRK) theory, a contribution which highlights Black men’s opposition to oppression as a set of knowledge critical to their college journeys. Conceptually, this study disrupts less than narratives and approaches that undermine Black men’s brilliance, dignity, and humanity, while expanding understanding of resistance as a growing phenomenon.
Recommended Citation
Campbell, Johnnie L., "(Fill in the Blank) as Resistance: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Black Men’s Resistance Knowledge in Higher Education Environments" (2026). Dissertations. 4305.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/4305
