Chapter 5: Promoting Belonging and Happiness for Black Male Faculty and Staff at a Predominantly White Institution

This chapter explores happiness and belonging in workplace communities, with a particular focus on the experiences of Black male faculty and staff at a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). Systemic and institutional barriers continue to negatively impact the career growth experiences for some Black males in higher education and beyond. Rather than focusing on the difficulties, the authors discovered at one institution that membership in Employer Resource Groups (ERGs) enhances eudaimonic happiness—a type of happiness driven by purpose and meaning—through fostering belonging, support, and engagement. The authors briefly outline the rationale for this project and draw upon the preliminary findings from this study, which employed both qualitative and quantitative strategies to collect data from Black male faculty and staff participants. These data suggest that participating in an ERG can increase feelings of belonging and purpose. In addition, the data highlight ideas to enhance recruitment, retention, and resiliency in higher education spaces for Black male faculty and staff that stem from the participants’ feedback. Implications for practitioners, researchers, and policymakers are provided.