This book looks at the socialization process and persistence to graduation from the perspectives of black students at American universities today. The students' perceptions discussed include what it meant to them to have a pre-college experience, the importance of expectations, the pain caused by racism, and how they were able to find «safe spaces» in what many considered a «hostile environment». Black Students' Perceptions documents and addresses what it means to be a black person getting an education in a predominantly white university.