Abstract
Social systems, structures, and contexts rooted in White supremacy continue to foster racialized inequities negatively impacting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States. These contexts also shape conditions in which White individuals are socialized, develop, and challenge and/or perpetuate such inequity. White college students must navigate competing narratives about race and racism in this current context. For traditional undergraduate students, college represents a critical developmental period and influential context through which related development happens. This phenomenological study elucidates in-depth understandings of experiences concerning allyship development in White college students and recent graduates following their White racial socialization (WRS) into United States society. This topic is explored qualitatively through semi-structured interviews. I center student experiences in analysis through an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings suggest that WRS included both racist and race conscious experiences informing future allyship development. Participants also elucidated key developmental processes related to unlearning and relearning of racist aspects of WRS, communal processing of emotions, building relationships, and continued allyship action. Participants’ values and sense of self informed growth across developmental periods. Taking a developmental perspective to understand experiences informing links between WRS and future allyship development comprises a unique contribution to the literature. Implications for theory, policy, equitable engagement in racial justice efforts, and future developmental research are discussed.