The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of African American males who graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Within the last 10 years, African American males have experienced systematically devastating results in social, educational, and economic outcomes at a higher rate than…

The purpose of this research dissertation was to investigate and explore consciousness in millennial African American men. This study defined consciousness in the form of self-concept or self-conceptualization, the image we have of ourselves (Akbar, 1991; McLeod 2008). The research question under investigation is, How do African American college…

This dissertation explores the perceptions of African American male students regarding mentoring programs at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It evaluates the impact on career planning, academic performance, and self-efficacy. Using a causal-comparative mixed-method research design,…

This study focused on the experience of successful African American male students in higher learning institutions as well as the factors they feel are drivers of their academic persistence. This study is significant because limited research exists on African American male academic success within HBCUs. Using the anti-deficit achievement framework…

In this study, I sought perceptions reported by twelve African American men in the field of information technology (IT) regarding barriers and challenges that reportedly impacted their seeking of terminal degrees within their discipline. I conducted one-on-one interviews with participants, who were all from historically Black universities or…

Retention and graduation rates are declining nationwide but are exceptionally low for Black men. Extant research substantiates that various influences contribute to a student's ability to persist to graduation. Apart from the positive impact of HBCUs on educational outcomes for Black students, empirical research highlights that enrollment, campus…

Many African American male students who enroll in higher education institutions do not graduate. This phenomenological study aims to understand factors contributing to the success of African American male students at a Midwestern Black Historical Institution. The theory underpinning this study is William Sedlacek's noncognitive variables, which…

This quantitative correlational predictive study examined the extent to which academic resilience and supportive environment collectively and individually predict internal motivation in African American male first generation college students at an HBCU in the United States. Academic Resilience Theory, African American Male Theory, and the Model of…

With a decade-long stagnant 34% Black male college graduation rate, there was little understanding of how and why Black male initiatives, designed to improve Black male persistence and graduation in 4-year colleges, affected retention and graduation-related behaviors, as understood by the Black male participants in such initiatives. This…

African American male enrollment in degree-granting postsecondary institutions saw a small increase between 2010 and 2019, rising nine percent over that period. However, their representation only reached eight percent of total undergraduate students by fall 2019, down slightly from nine percent in 2010. Only 37% of African American men who started…

Black men face numerous challenges in higher education, including poor K-12 educational preparation and experiences, negative societal perceptions, hostile and unwelcoming college campuses, a lack of Black role models and faculty, and curriculum and pedagogical practices often void of relevant cultural connections. Specifically in the community…

In previous studies, Black gay males have shared their lived experiences at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), but the voices of outwardly presently gay Black males remain void in the literature and how they navigate such institutions. Despite their community and relationship-based environment, the foundational tenets of HBCUs…

Black male community college students have the lowest retention and completion rates among any racial group (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2017). During this dissertation, I examined the root causes of Black male community college students' low graduation rates through a systematic literature review, and then identified mentoring…

This qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of first-generation Black male students attending a Historically Black University utilizing transition factors impacting their successful transition as perceived by the student. Schlossberg's Adult Transition Theory (Goodman et al., 2006), for the theoretical framework,…

The purpose of this phenomenological was to identify and understand how Black Male Initiative programs contributed to the completion of an undergraduate degree for Black males at HBCUs. The study's central research question was: What role does the Black Male Initiative (BMI) play in Black male undergraduate degree completion at HBCUs in the U.S.?…