The existing research about racism in higher education has focused on faculty and students of color. Currently, there is a lack of research on how racism impacts staff at colleges and universities. This study sought to fill the gap in the literature by exploring the phenomenon of racism in student affairs at public or independent Historically White Institutions (HWI) in the United States. Specifically, this study sought to answer one research question: How does racism influence the lived experiences of African American or Black staff who work in student affairs. A qualitative, phenomenological approach was used to interview and theme data, resulting in the identification of four themes that describe racism's impact on the lived experiences of African American and Black student affairs staff. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]