This research looks at the features of successful mentorship programs and their influence on at-risk African American male students. The research examines how an Afrocentric mentoring program affects attendance, discipline, and achievement. This intervention draws on the principles of the African American rites of passage movement to focus on…

What has it meant to produce knowledge and to teach at the intersection of English literature and Black Studies? This dissertation asks after the history and function of Black literary studies as it emerged as an academic discipline in the late 20th century U.S. academy. I propose that Black literary studies' institutional knowledge project is…

This study explores obstacles to career advancement faced by black female staff in Higher education. Through interviews and surveys, key factors impacting this population are identified and a solution is proposed in the form of an action plan. Interviews exposed the issue of isolation, lack of support, and a need for early training for both…

Purpose and Method of Study: The purpose of this qualitative transcendental (descriptive) phenomenological study was to investigate and document the lived experiences of African American (AA) female graduate students utilizing Afrocentric mentoring paradigms at PWIs. I examined the challenges caused by institutional racism in PWIs and whether…

In our political and cultural climate, where America is recovering from a pandemic, affirmative action is no longer the law of the land, DEI programs are being cut, and African American history and heritage are being denied and eradicated; how do African Americans navigate white spaces? How do African American leaders obtain a seat at the table?…

Black faculty, staff, and students are experiencing anti-Blackness in higher education that is deeply rooted in the racialized legacy of the United States. The roots and effects of anti-Blackness, afro-pessimism, and Afrofuturism were investigated. Scholars argue Black existence is imagined and acted upon through the historic lens of the…

This study explores how Black girls express their "Black girl imagination" while participating in a critical, informal science learning program, Empowering Girls Through Art & Science, designed to prioritize the positive visibility of Black girls and promote the critical exploration of scientific histories. The goal of the research…

African American males' mathematics identity has often been researched in relation to their White peers, from a Eurocentrically prescribed researcher presentation of achievement and in retrospect to the time frame being studied. Thus, their experience has often been framed negatively and from a resiliency stance. This qualitative study adds to the…

This qualitative interview study explores the beliefs, feelings, and opinions held by the staff, faculty, and administrators who operationalize the Umoja student support programs on campuses within a southern California Community College district. Schiele's Afrocentric organization theory is the framework for this study. The six tenets derived…

Predominantly Black schools may struggle with ways to keep their students engaged. When Black students are not engaged in class, it could lead to low academic performance, which may reflect the lack of culturally relevant content in the curriculum. Student engagement is increasingly viewed as one of the keys to addressing problems such as low…