Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

Psychology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Sally L. Grapin

Committee Member

Norissa J. Williams

Committee Member

Jazmin Reyes-Portillo

Committee Member

Samantha Coyle-Eastwick

Abstract

Racism is rampant in and outside of higher education institutions (HEIs). Preliminary research has found that white allyship--or white people's efforts to dismantle racism by partnering with People of Color--can be beneficial to Black communities when done authentically and in ways that center Black voices, perspectives, and liberatory goals. However, a growing body of scholarship has found that white people seldom show up as allies in meaningful ways. Instead, they frequently resort to performative racial allyship (PRA), or behaviors that are meant to signal solidarity with a marginalized racial group yet are superficial and self-serving. To support effective antiracism efforts, the present exploratory study used a qualitative approach to: (a) identify barriers to white undergraduates' effective participation in antiracism; (b) examine how Black and white undergraduate students conceptualize PRA; and (c) understand how PRA manifests among white students. Twenty-three undergraduates, 12 of whom identified as Black and 11 of whom identified as white (and non-Black) participated in individual interviews regarding their perspectives on these topics. Results indicated that Black and white students believed that the desire to avoid interpersonal conflict and backlash hindered white ally efforts, and Black students highlighted that white people lack empathy for Black people and are reluctant to take on the adversity often resulting from ally behaviors. White and Black students alike highlighted conceptualized PRA by describing such behaviors against the backdrop of authentic ally behaviors (e.g., aiming to look like one is engaged in antiracism versus actually engaging in antiracism), and Black students highlighted the white people often engage in PRA to receive praise or recognition and do so on social media specifically due to perceived social obligation. Black students reported observing PRA on social media and offline contexts, whereas white students almost exclusively highlighted social media examples. The present findings have wide-spanning implications for research (e.g., future qualitative and quantitative studies) and practice (e.g., programming in HEIs, establishing white allyship groups).

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