The purpose of this study is to explore factors that may contribute to the persistence and graduation rates of African American and Hispanic undergraduate males enrolled at regional four-year public universities in Texas. African American and Hispanic males have lower graduation rates in both secondary and post-secondary education than their White…

Educational leaders and institutions struggle with increasing the persistence and graduation rates of Black male college students. Research on Black male college students has often been approached from a deficit lens that shows their challenges and poor academic tenure. This study explored what internal and external tools were utilized by Black…

This dissertation explored the lived experiences of eight Black Student Activist Scholars on the campus of a Predominantly White Institution (PWI). Through the use of Critical Race Theory, and Sociopolitical Development, it was discovered that Black students understand their activist and civic engagement to be that of a "duty of…

The authors use a phenomenological research tradition grounded in CRT tenets to describe the daily lived experiences that 12 male African American youth had in relation to the achievement gap. Researchers collected individual semi-structured interviews and focus group data related to the study phenomenon. There were five themes identified in…

This study examined the use of poetry as a multimodal communicative text to encourage reading engagement in selected African-American learners with mild intellectual disabilities. Framed by critical discourse theory, genre theory, and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, this investigation presented poetry as an alternative text…

Immediately after President Obama's successful campaign, many hypothesized that the United States had entered a post-racial era. This study uses critical race theory to examine how high-achieving Black and Latinx college students make meaning of and navigate affirmative action policy discourses in an era of colorblind racial politics.…

The effective integration of African American students into previously segregated careers was one of the main goals of the "Brown" decision and, in turn, the outcomes of such efforts have been the subject of much scholarly interest). This qualitative study, drawing on critical race theorist Derrick Bell's critique of "Brown,"…

Following the 2016 US presidential election, schools reported an alarming level of fear and anxiety among students of color, increased racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom, and fear of deportation for immigrant youth. Collectively, this phenomenon has been termed "the Trump effect." In this study, we examined the details…

This research applies critical race theory to investigate Michigan's system for funding public schools, focusing on structural racism and discrimination embedded in education finance laws, housing policies, and residential and educational segregation. We find that the average Black student receiving free or reduced-price lunch (FRL) receives $411…

The overwhelming majority of published scholarship on urban high schools in the United States focuses on problems of inadequacy, instability, underperformance, and violence. Similarly, across all schooling contexts, most of what has been written about young men of color continually reinforces deficit narratives about their educational possibility.…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to expand knowledge about the needs of urban Black undergraduate students by exploring their perceptions of the impact of faculty interactions, in and out of the classroom, at a small rural predominately White institution. Study participants were full-time undergraduate students who self-identified as…

The "over-age, under-credited" (OA/UC) student population is defined as high school students who are at least two years behind their peers in terms of age and credits earned toward a high school diploma. To date, few studies have examined the schooling of OA/UC students. The purpose of this study is to use the insights of six African…

This narrative study is based on stories told by African American adolescents experiencing homelessness. It offers insights into their lived experiences and describes the challenges faced in negotiating the urban education system. African American youth are disproportionately represented in the adolescent homeless demographic. "Unheard and…

This investigation employs Disability Critical Race Studies as a theoretical framework to determine the interdependence of racism and ableism in school settings. African American male students with learning disabilities are queried about their interpretations of special education placement and labeling while attempting to secure educational…

The purpose of this research study was to understand the reasons why African-American intercollegiate student-athletes transfer institutions. The study also sought to understand if these student-athletes were satisfied with their decisions to transfer, and to determine programming to assist with acclimation to the receiving institution and aid in…