The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences that contributed to the persistence of African American males at a historically Black college. The problem was that the percentage of 18- to 24-year-old African American males enrolled in the nation's colleges and universities over the past two decades has been lower than the rates of White and Hispanic men and women, as well as African American women. The guiding theory in this study was Tinto's persistence theory. This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to obtain individual living experiences of African American male students enrolled in a historically Black, all-male, liberal arts college. Twelve participants were chosen for this study. The participants differed in classification, age, major, and family status. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and survey questions were used to collect, synthesize, and analyze the data obtained on the participants' lived experiences as African American male students enrolled in a historically Black, all-male, liberal arts college. The data lead to significant themes contributing to the satisfaction and ultimately the retention of African American males in higher education. The findings of the study provided a better understanding of the experiences that influenced their college achievement and identity formation as African American males in the United States. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]