Black American males and low socioeconomic status students face a gauntlet of obstacles when pursuing their college degrees. These young men do not earn degrees at the same rate as their peers. As campus engagement, recreation, and leisure play pivotal roles in students’ experiences, investigating their influence relative to social integration might facilitate a better understanding of the issues they face. This study explored how Black American male undergraduates from low socioeconomic status backgrounds perceived the roles that campus engagement, recreation, and leisure played in their social integration. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of human development guided the qualitative approach to this study. Seventeen participants were interviewed, and interwoven themes related to feelings of isolation and cultural dissonance emerged. Theorizing about the complex roles leisure plays, in some cases, creating isolation and cultural dissonance and, in others, helping students navigate the challenges of college are presented.

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Personal, social, and cultural issues influence any student’s ability to succeed in college, but these issues are more pronounced for African American males from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Since campus engagement, recreation, and leisure can play pivotal roles in a student’s experience, investigating their influence relative to social integration might facilitate better understanding of the contemporary issues these students face. The purpose of this study was to explore how African American male undergraduates from low SES backgrounds perceived leisure and the role that campus engagement played in their social integration at a PWI. Seventeen African American male undergraduates from low SES backgrounds were interviewed. While several themes emerged, this article focuses on discovering a sense of self and navigating campus cultures. This research demonstrated that recreation and leisure spaces were instrumental in developing a sense of purpose for the young men at this PWI.

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The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore perceived constraints of structured outdoor recreation experiences for students attending a Historically Black College/University (HBCU). Data were collected from four focus group sessions. Grounded Theory was used to analyze the data and from an analysis of data, four themes emerged: 1. Family impact, 2. Companionship, 3. Social media and technology, and 4. HBCU and Black American cultures. This study confirmed the importance of social companionship and the need for relevant marketing strategies as motivators for Black student participation in outdoor recreation activities at this HBCU. A common thread among the groups, was the perception of Whiteness in outdoor spaces and its negative impact on outdoor recreation involvement.