Date of Conferral

4-22-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

William Benet

Abstract

Research has shown the negative effects of White supremacy and its historical influence on societal and political factors in the United States. These negative effects include excessive aggression, hate, and violence toward and degradation of Blacks, Indigenous, and people of color that lead to physical and mental health issues, identity crises, and trauma. However, studies have not examined the specific effects of the influence of White supremacy on the daily life of young adult Black males who have attended community college in Mobile, Alabama. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to identify the perceptions of such Black males ages 18-24 through the lens of Benet’s polarities of democracy. Purposeful and snowball sampling were used to identify eight participants who completed the interviews. A four-step thematic analysis of the results identified four main themes: White supremacy impacts their daily life through favoritism or bias, White supremacy relative to superiority results in a lack of self-actualization on the part of the participants, a shift in thinking is needed from the level of civil rights to the level of human rights, and communal obligations need to demonstrate an initial step toward reparations through public policy creation or promulgation. The study has implications for positive social change through local, state, and federal level changes in public policy that serve to protect Blacks, Indigenous, and people of color from excessive aggression, hate, and violence through such legislation as a strengthened federal hate crimes bill likened to the S.937 - COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

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