Trust-building in the mentoring of students of color

Trust is a vital component of mentoring, particularly when proteges are people of color who have experienced racism and discrimination. My findings are part of a larger study that culminated in the formulation of a theory of multicultural mentoring. Trust was found to be foundational for successful multicultural mentoring relationships. In my study of how mentors establish trust with graduate proteges of color, the following mentor practices were found to promote trust: listening, maintaining excellent communication, having a holistic understanding of the protege, self-disclosing, using humor, being willing to discuss race and culture, acknowledging mistakes, and behaving with integrity. The mentors not only worked to establish interpersonal trust, they also attended to institutional and sociocultural trust concerns that impacted their proteges. Considerable time, skill, commitment, and effort are required for mentors to establish trust with proteges of color. Recommendations for the provision of mentor support are provided.