African American students are less likely to secure an internship and when they do, it is likely to be unpaid. Research has demonstrated discrimination by major companies when it comes to offering internships to African American students. In addition, research shows that many low-income and first generation students of color are not sure how to obtain an internship. At the same time, internships are one of the best ways to secure a full-time, higher paying job after college.

Cameron Williams, a junior at historically Black North Carolina A&T State University, secured an internship at Sam’s Club during his sophomore year of college. Understanding the difficulties that many African Americans encounter when trying to secure an internship, he is focused on demystifying the process for others.

Read the full article by Dr. Marybeth Gasman

Marybeth Gasman is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education and a Distinguished Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. She has written or edited 33 books, including Doing the Right Thing: How Colleges and Universities Can Undo Systemic Racism in Faculty Hiring (Princeton University Press, 2022), Making Black Scientists (Harvard University Press, 2019 with Thai Nguyen), Educating a Diverse Nation (Harvard University Press, 2015 with Clif Conrad) and Envisioning Black Colleges (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007). Her newest book is HBCU: The Power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2024).