Chapter 12: Onward and Upward in Lieu of Turmoil and Confusion: Resiliency While Navigating Black Religious Experience in University Settings

An increased focus on religious and spiritual activities on college campuses today seeks to develop ways that encourage a holistic educational and work experience among its students, faculty, and staff. Mayrl and Oeur (2009) propose that while religion and spirituality have a positive influence in the lives of college students, there is a shortage in the amount of credible research in this area. This chapter argues that it would benefit institutions of higher education to explore aspects of the Black religious experience (BRE) as a form of healing and addressing marginalization from within higher education practice and pedagogy. A deeper understanding of the Black religiosity experience may help faculty, staff, and students of color navigate existing systematic challenges within higher education, particularly predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The BRE has historically galvanized communal efforts to address issues of conflict and marginaliza-tion head on. Most specifically, its tradition has focused on developing an ethic and culture of leadership, mentorship opportunities, and communal pride among its members. By exploring historical evidence of the BRE’s relationship to higher education legislation and recognizing its intersection with identity, potential outcomes related to the leadership development, mentorship, and communal pride among higher education professionals will become most evident.