Presentation Session II

While the US has made progress in rectifying race relations, the vestiges of de facto segregation enrollment practices are still upheld by southern private schools. Consequently, it is feasible for White students living in diverse communities to attend predominantly White academies.
Such experiences of racial insulation can be developmentally detrimental for White learners, as research suggests that all students benefit from multicultural classrooms, as they prepare students to participate in pluralistic societies. However, for segregation academy students, the learning environment is a whitewashed inlet within a multiperspectival sea of existence.
To better understand this phenomenon, this study examines the experiences of graduates from a specific historically segregated academy. Findings draw from the emic perspectives of former students, a participant category previously absent from relevant academic discourse. The purpose of this phenomenological case study is to contribute to the existing literature while creating space for new voices to be heard.