Voices Silenced: The Experiences of Black College Students amidst Police Encounters and the Importance of Conducting Research to Keep Them Illuminated

Background: “We hate that you terrorize us and then lie about it and then make us feel crazy for having to explain how crazy you make us feel,” is a quote from Michael Eric Dyson (Dyson, 2017). Through exposure to police violence, Black people are reminded of a history of oppression in which Black lives have been expendable, and their words not valued. When some Black people try to speak up against these police encounters, they are sometimes framed in a stereotypical, criminalizing, and delegitimizing way on social media platforms (Kilgo, 2021). Whether true or false, how a story is framed and communicated can affect how people feel and react. If Black people are portrayed as aggressors rather than victims of police violence, it can negatively affect how Black people feel (McLeroy & Wang, 2023). Continuing to conduct research is a key component of sharing their stories. We know that, where practice is meant to inform research and research to guide practice, the profession, despite its commitment to social good, often struggles to accurately measure the effectiveness of practice for this population of people (Cabassa, 2016). This research aims to give Black college students a place to use their voices, ultimately highlighting how social work research illuminates marginalized experiences and strengthens democracy.

Methods: The study used qualitative, phenomenological methods to explore how Black college students experience and interpret police encounters. Participants were recruited through QR‑code flyers posted across a predominantly white Southern campus and included Black undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in on‑campus courses. Fifteen students (ages 19–27) completed one‑time interviews, held in person or via Zoom based on preference, lasting 25–50 minutes. An open‑ended guide invited students to discuss how they learned about police violence, its personal and academic impact, and their coping strategies. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), keeping their perspectives illuminated through systematic, intentional research.

Results: Findings reveal that Black college students attending a PWI experience what they describe as a constant Catch‑22 in their encounters with police. Even when they fully comply with officers’ requests, students reported feeling silenced, unable to ask basic questions or seek clarification without fear of escalation. This dynamic left the participants navigating interactions that felt both disempowering and racially charged. Students stressed that far more must be done to ensure their voices, needs, and fears are not dismissed or rendered invisible. Overall, the results underscore a critical gap: Black students’ perspectives are often unheard or minimized, making research essential to bringing their experiences to light and advocating for meaningful institutional support.

Conclusion: Overall, the results highlight a critical gap: Black students’ perspectives are too often unheard or minimized. This makes continued inquiry essential for ensuring their experiences are visible and for advancing social work research that confronts systemic inequities. The findings also carry important practice implications, calling for interventions that enhance institutional support, promote safety, and empower students within educational environments.