Black Men Changing the Narrative Through Education

By Walter R. McCollum

The focus of this book is to show a different view of Black males on their quest to become game changers through higher education. For decades, Black males’ absence from college enrollment, underachievement, and low rates of baccalaureate degree completion have been among the most pressing and complex issues in higher education. More troub

• Language: English
• Publisher: McCollum Enterprises
• Release date: Mar 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9781532370458

Book preview

Introduction

Men of color are changing their own narratives through education. Black men are using higher education as a gateway to affect positive social change.

—Dr. Walter McCollum

The focus of this book is to show a different view of Black males on their quest to become game changers through higher education. For decades, Black males’ absence from college enrollment, underachievement, and low rates of baccalaureate degree completion have been among the most pressing and complex issues in higher education. More troubling than the problems themselves is the way they have been mishandled by educators and policy makers. Capitalizing on the troubled status of Black male students in higher education has yielded few solutions. Thus, educational outcomes for this population have remained stagnant due to the deficit orientation that is constantly reinforced in media, academic journals, and educational practice.

There is a lot to learn from Black men who have been successful. To increase their educational attainment, the common one-sided emphasis on failure and low-performing Black male undergraduates must be counterbalanced with insights and demonstrations from those who somehow managed to navigate their way to and through higher education, despite all that is stacked against them – low teacher expectations, insufficient academic preparation for college-level work, racist and culturally unresponsive college environments, and the debilitating consequences of underrepresentation, to name a few.

This book consists of personal testaments from selected Black men who not only earned a higher education, but also used their education to effect positive social change. In the National Black Male College Achievement Study conducted in 2012, 219 students who were successful in higher and postsecondary settings were interviewed and had a lot to share about the personal, familial, and institutional enablers of their achievement. Truth be told, that side of the story is quite impressive, more so than the problems and inequities that are typically amplified in research journals, policy reports, and the media. These problems and inequities include the following:

• Only 47% of Black male students graduated on time from U.S. high schools in 2008, compared to 78% of White males (Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010).

• Black male students are often comparatively less prepared than are others for the rigors of college level academic work (Bonner & Bailey, 2006; Loury, 2004; Lundy-Wagner & Gasman, 2011; Palmer, Davis, & Hilton, 2009).

• In 2002, Black men comprised only 4.3% of students enrolled at institutions of higher education, which is exactly the same percentage as in 1976 (Harper, 2006a; Strayhorn, 2010).

• Black men are overrepresented on revenue-generating intercollegiate sports teams. In 2009, they comprised only 3.6% of undergraduate students, but 55.3% of football and basketball players at public NCAA Division I institutions (Harper, 2012).

• Black male college completion rates are lowest among both sexes and all racial/ethnic groups in U.S. higher education (Harper, 2006a; Strayhorn, 2010).

• Across four cohorts of undergraduates, the 6-year graduation rate for Black male students attending public colleges and universities was 33.3%, compared to 48.1% for students overall (Harper, 2012).

• Black men’s degree attainment across all levels of postsecondary education is alarmingly low, especially in comparison to their same-race female counterparts (U.S. Department of Education, 2010).

• Black men’s representation in graduate and professional school lags behind that of their Latino and Asian American male counterparts. For example, between 1977 and 2007, Black men experienced a 109% increase in post-baccalaureate degree attainment, compared to 242% for Latino men and 425% for Asian American men; the comparative rate of increase for Black women was 253% (Harper & Davis, 2012).

• Black undergraduate men, like other racial minority students at predominately White institutions, routinely encounter racist stereotypes and racial microagressions that undermine their achievement and sense of belonging (Bonner, 2010; Harper, 2009; Singer, 2005; Smith, Allen, & Danley, 2007; Smith, Yosso, & Solorzano, 2007).

• In comparison to their same-race female counterparts, Black men take fewer notes in class, spend less time writing papers and competing class assignments, participate less frequently in college activities, hold fewer leadership positions, and report lower grades (Cuyjet, 1997; Harper Carina, Bridges, & Hayek, 2004).

These problems warrant ongoing scholarly examination, intervention, and strategic institutional leadership, as well as greater transparency, accountability, and policy responses. However, instructive insights from Black men who have experienced college differently – those who actually enrolled, were actively engaged inside and outside the classroom, did well academically, graduated, and went on to pursue additional degrees beyond the baccalaureate – are also warranted. Unfortunately, their journeys to and through college have been overshadowed by the aforementioned statistics. This book shares a different story – many different stories – and celebrates African American male doctors who are changing the narrative by achieving a higher education to change the world!

References

Harper, S. R. (2012). Black male student success in higher education: A report from the National Black Male College Achievement Study. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education.

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Changing the Narrative of Black Male College Achievement

Education is the most powerful weapon, which you can use to change the world

—Honorable Nelson Mandela

More and more Black men are earning higher education. The National Black Male College Achievement Study highlighted the narratives of 219 Black male achievers selected from six types of institutions (small liberal arts colleges, large public research universities, private research universities, state universities, and private and public Historically Black Colleges and Universities [HBCUs]) to participate in the study. From the interviews conducted, a key finding that related to going to college was that, from boyhood through high school, parents and other family members reinforced to the achievers that college was the most viable pathway to social uplift and success. Although they had little or no firsthand experience with higher education, these parents cultivated within their children a belief that college was the only allowable next step after high school. Most of the achievers’ parents and family members aggressively sought out educational resources to ensure the achievers’ success through tutoring and academic support programs, college preparatory initiatives, and summer academies and camps.

Educators, administrators, and others are continually working to improve Black male student success and degree attainment rates. At the individual level, student organizations are common at many universities and can be an affirming, supportive way to help Black men navigate the process of earning a degree and to provide them with a ready-made peer group. For example, Harvard’s Black Men forum is a university organization founded and led by students. Its purpose is to provide a venue for conversations on topics of cultural significance, including race, gender, and academic experiences at Harvard, as well as world politics. Several other institutions have collegiate chapters of the 100 Black Men of America. Students in groups such as these often advise each other on navigating the university, responding productively to racism and racial stereotypes, and using important institutional resources

Some institutions have convened internal and external stakeholders to consider the theme of Black male success. For example, the University of Akron hosts the annual Black Male Summit to bring educators, administrators, students, and community members from across Ohio and neighboring states. The summit includes high-profile keynote speakers and workshops with a customized track for students and another track for professionals and citizens concerned about student success.

Many universities have also convened stakeholders as part of broader initiatives that include longer term activities. One example is the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Black Male Institute (BMI), which is directed by a tenured professor who brings together more than 20 undergraduates and graduate students to conduct practical, useful research and interventions that aim to improve the educational and social status of Black male students across all levels of education. BMI engages educational leaders, community members, and policy makers, as well as expert scholars at and beyond UCLA. More than 500 middle and high school students have gone to UCLA to participate in BMI workshops on preparing for college, and hundreds of educators and community members have attended BMI’s annual Black Male Think Tank Conference. These types of initiatives can go beyond current undergraduate enrollment to prepare Black men for graduate school and beyond.

Another way of formalizing a focus on Black men is to create credit-bearing courses with culturally sensitive curricula targeted toward helping Black men adjust to college life and learning. For example, Wake Forest University, the University of Southern California, UCLA, and the University of Pennsylvania offer courses designed to facilitate learning, critical reflection, and dialogue about the status and experiences of Black undergraduate men. A key activity of these courses is acquainting Black male students with institutional resources that help ensure successful transitions, engagement, academic success, and persistence toward degree attainment. Some institutions have integrated their efforts within a formal structure. For example, the Todd. A. Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male at the Ohio State University and the Center for Male Engagement at the Community College of Philadelphia consist of full-time professors with efforts ranging from outreach to Black male high school students to analyze and report on institutional data on trends in Black male student outcomes.

Beyond institutional efforts, federal and state policy makers, higher education associations, the NCAA, foundations, and others have several ways to respond to social, political, and economic threats to Black male student success and college completion. This is not to suggest that these efforts should replace the initiatives currently offered on college and university campuses, but both institutional and policy responses are necessary to improve Black men’s educational outcomes and postsecondary-degree attainment rates. Drawing from existing research and promising practices from institutional initiatives, the following recommendations are examples of ways to complement institutional efforts with new policies, practices, and resources, thereby changing the narrative of Black men’s success in higher education:

• Increase Investments in College Preparation Programs – Given the key role of these programs in supporting academically prepared students from underserved populations, federal and state policy makers, institutional leaders, and community-based organizations can play a key role by supporting and advocating on behalf of college outreach and preparation initiatives, particularly during times of fiscal exigency, when these resources are especially vulnerable to budget cuts or elimination.

• Address Funding Inequities That Disadvantage Public HBCUs – A 2006 study of 19 southern states revealed "public 4-year HBCUs are the only sector of higher education in which Blacks consistently approach or achieve equity in enrollment and degree completion. Moreover, HBCUs outperform predominantly White institutions proportionately in graduating and preparing Black students for careers in high-need industries, such as the health professions and the science, technology, engineering and math fields, despite enrolling a significantly higher proportion of first-generation students and Pell Grant recipients.

• Increase Federal and State Financial Aid for Lower-Income Black Male Students – Many students who drop out of college do so because they cannot afford the cost. Financial aid plays a significant role in Black men’s persistence and academic success, especially at highly selective institutions.

• Match Incarceration and Educational Investments – The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 85,600 Black Men between the ages of 18 and 24 (the traditional college-age population) were serving sentences in federal and state prisons in 2010. On average, taxpayers paid $32,226 that year per inmate. State policy makers should enact an investment strategy that matches taxpayer dollars spent on incarcerating 18- to 24-year-old Black men with race- and gender-specific efforts that improve their pathways to and through college.

• Require Assessment in State-Funded Initiatives – Institutions receiving state funds for any Black male initiative must use a core set of standards for alignment and assessment. Consistent standards should be used as a framework for program design, reporting, evaluation, and other efforts to document effectiveness and ensure accountability.

• Establish Consortia in Public Secondary Systems – It is imperative to establish and support consortia such as the Arkansas African-American Male Initiative and system-wide efforts such as the City University of New York’s Black Male Initiative and the University System of Georgia’s African-American Male Initiative. Such collaborative efforts can facilitate information and resource sharing among institutions and better equip them to address systemic barriers to Black men’s postsecondary success.

• Develop a National Study that Monitors College Access and Success of Minority Males – The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a study on the state of academic achievement for underrepresented males, with a particular focus on Black and Hispanic students. This mandated study represents an opportunity to conduct further research on minority male college access and success and to make recommendations to Congress and state superintendents of education on new approaches to increase the number of Black and Hispanic males preparing for college, graduating, and successfully entering careers where they are most underrepresented.

• Require Transparency in College Athletics – State policy makers and system-level leaders should require public institutions to collect, analyze, and publish data annually concerning the overrepresentation of Black men among revenue-generating college student athletes, as well as the racial and gender disparities in graduation rates. Institutions that show inequities from year to year should be required to submit a plan for reversing these problematic trends.

• Promote Policies and Practices that Advance Equity – Over the past decade, affirmative action policies and race-conscious practices in university admissions have been intensely scrutinized and eliminated in some states. A substantial body of empirical research confirms that institutional diversity and inclusion is beneficial to the learning, growth, and development of all college students. Thus, policy makers at all levels must be willing to defend race- and gender-conscious initiatives on college and university campuses.

• Reclaim Near - Completers – In September 2011, policy makers and other stakeholders attended the National Summit on Near Completion. The meeting focused on students who have left colleges and universities without earning their degrees, but are eligible to receive associate’s degrees or, with assistance, can complete the few remaining courses required to earn bachelor’s degrees. Federal and state policy makers should aim to reclaim Black men who discontinued college enrollment and help them construct plans to complete their degrees.

The aforementioned recommendations are far from exhaustive. No single initiative is likely to be sufficient at any university with racial and gender inequities that disfavor Black male students. The array of policy-relevant challenges that undermine young Black men’s educational attainment and social mobility requires a substantive policy agenda that includes, but extends far beyond, the aforementioned recommendations to support changing the narrative of Black male success in higher education.

In the upcoming chapters, you will hear the amazing stories of Black Male doctoral degree holders. These men have not only earned a doctoral degree, but are using their educational experience to change the world. Their journeys have not been easy, but they are changing the narrative of Black male college achievement for generations to come.

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Dr. William L. Quisenberry

Educator/Consultant Servant Consultant Group

Everybody can be great . . . because anybody can serve. You do not have to have a college degree to