Affirmative Action and Black Student Success: The Pursuit of a "Critical Mass" at Historically White Universities

Examines diversity initiatives at three major, public universities in the U.S. and Canada and demonstrates the varying impact that different policies, approaches, and discourses about diversity have on students and institutions___Advances a new theoretical concept, racism-blind multiculturalism, to describe the paradoxical organizational approaches carried out by higher education institutions that champion racially progressive values to the neglect of positive outcomes for Black students in particular, and students of color in general___Identifies three important factors that influence college enrolment and completions for Black students: regional and federal policies, diversity framing, and sociocultural views on race-based social policies___Offers practical recommendations for university leaders and administrators based on the results of this 12-year comparative study and the author’s current work as a DEI at a large, public university.