Engaging African American Males

Although some research addresses gifted African American children in K-12 schools, few studies address high-achieving and gifted African American male college students.  Actually, most of the research highlighting the education of African American students focuses on their negative educational outcomes rather than their educational success.  Researchers and educational institutions should promote the successful educational characteristics of high achieving African American males and promote success for all students. 

The article focused on a university program with a student population that was 85% White with less than 6% African American students.  In addition, on this particular campus, African American males make up less than half of the population of African American students who attend the campus.

A summer-long Bridge program, modeled after Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB), was created for African American male students to succeed academically.  SAAB is part of a national push intended to help African American males succeed academically.  The program includes six domains- personal development, service, financial, academic, spiritual/social, and public relations.  Although all of the chapters include these domains, program implementation is left up to each campus. 

The director of the undergraduate chapter at this institution designed both a summer and a yearlong retention program with heterogeneous and homogeneous balance, African American male mentoring, and anticipatory advising.  The Bridge Program is specifically created to acclimate African American students to the campus climate and campus structure.  African American male students attend classes with the entire summer Bridge Program student body in an environment that is gender and racially mixed.  Some time each day, however, is dedicated to working with African male students as a separate group, where they engage in in-depth discussion groups about campus life, climate, and culture.  In addition, African American males participate in a book club where the readings are focused on the success of African American males.  Each student is assigned a peer mentor and is introduced to faculty and senior administrators.  Each student is matched to an African American male faculty or staff member.  Students learn very early on from their mentors that overcoming crisis is part of their history, as well as being resilient.  Students who participate in the SAAB program are advised in anticipation that issues may arise and that students will need assistance throughout their college experience in order to make smooth transitions and persist.  This type of “anticipatory advising” assumes that students will be successful so that all students are held to high expectations.  According to the director of the program, since the program participants are all first-generation students, the advisory program is designed based on their unique needs. 

            The author observed a number of positive effects of the program on students.  Students were surprised to be introduced to successful Africa American males and females who held upper level administrative positions and were employed as faculty and staff in higher education.  Students listened intently during discussions with mentors, sitting upright and at attention.  Students seemed to take on a new worldview as mentors focused on how the students could be academically successful.  Students began discussing graduate school and what they needed to do to be successful in their undergraduate experience. 

 

Hughes, R. L. (2010). Engaging African american males for educational success.  Gifted Child Today,33(2), 55-60.