'We're Drawn to This Place': Black Graduate Students' Engagement with a Black Cultural Center

This study provides a nuanced look at the experiences of Black graduate students who engage with a Black cultural center (BCC) at a historically White institution in an urban center. Combining the theoretical perspectives of critical race theory and graduate developmental networks, the three main findings unearth how (1) the BCC staff act as developers by diversifying graduate students' networks; (2) the BCC space provides opportunities for community that strengthens network ties; and (3) even though the BCC has taken on additional responsibilities to assist graduate students, a lack of institutional support ultimately burdens the center.