A Thesis on Blackness: Testimonies from Young Black Professionals

 

By Desmond J. Austin-Miller

 

As predominantly white institutions around the country accept more and more Black students and other students of color, there is a growing need to accommodate these students that is not being met. The result is an array of negative racial experiences by these students. This thesis will demonstrate and analyze the power of these experiences in shaping the identity of 5 young black professional graduates of these institutions and make recommendations for policy change for these institutions and the workplaces these professionals navigate.

Desmond_Final_Draft_Thesis

Desmond Austin-Miller: I am an oral historian, artist, and audio producer for radio, documentaries, podcasts, film, and space. Recording sound is one of my obsessions. Or perhaps it is the other way around, my obsessions compel me to record sound. I use sound as a medium to record the meeting of our inner and outer worlds and to tell stories that explore uncertainty, memory, and trust within contested spaces. With sound, I seek to address alterity.