Date

9-25-2025

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)

Chair

Joy Maweu Mwendwa

Keywords

Black male PhD, counselor education, music, Sonic counterspace, playlist, Black male faculty, PWI, Afro-pessimism, Black men, higher education, Critical race theory, counselor education, mentorship

Disciplines

Counseling | Education

Abstract

This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Black male PhD graduates from CACREP- accredited counseling education programs who are now professors within the academy. It examined the integration of music as a coping mechanism to address the psychological impact of isolation, tokenism, and hypervisibility connected to attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs/ HWIs). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and participants shared bespoke musical playlists. The results of this study revealed three overarching themes and associated sub-themes: the impact of racism and systemic barriers (structural barriers and racial inequities); navigating predominantly or historically white institutions; and music as a coping mechanism (how bespoke playlists are more than just background noise, offering spiritual refuge, counterspace, and emotional self-regulation). The study was guided by Schlossberg’s Theory of Transition, which conceptualizes change through the phases of moving into, moving through, and moving out, coupled with the metatheoretical lens of Afro-pessimism to analyze the systemic barriers and racialized experiences of Black men in counselor education programs.

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