Black Men in College: Implications for HBCUs and Beyond by R. T. Palmer & J. L. Wood

Abstract

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have functioned as institutions of higher education that serve students who primarily identify as African American or Black. In the past, when segregation was mandated, the majority of Black Americans were deterred from pursuing post-secondary education. HBCUs were created with the mission to educate Black people and to facilitate the democratic involvement of Black Americans socially, politically, and economically in the United States. Therefore, HBCUs provided an opportunity for many Black Americans to acquire an education that would otherwise not be possible and allow for their social and economic mobility in American society. To many people, HBCU campuses are seen as institutions that provide a nurturing and supportive environment for Black Americans. Despite the positive perceptions that HBCUs facilitate the educational achievement of Black Americans, research has indicated that college completion rates for Black men, in particular, are significantly disproportionate to their Black female and White counterparts (Kimbrough & Harper, 2006). Greater retention and persistence initiatives geared toward Black males in higher education now exist. However, most of the research on these initiatives is focused mainly on Black male students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Research on Black men at HBCUs in general is lacking, and there exists the need to understand the issues that affect this population within HBCU environments. Although several studies have indicated that the Black male student population faces a plethora of challenges based on multiple identity dimensions, they are still regarded as a homogeneous group. Much of the existing research on issues affecting Black male college students has limited the ways in which this population is studied and understood. The contribution of Black Men in College: Implications for HBCUs and Beyond, edited by Robert T. Palmer and J. Luke Wood, is to not only reconstruct the idea of Black men by defining several subgroups but also broaden empirically informed discussions on the support and retention of Black men. Although this edited volume focuses on HBCUs, the implications and recommendations shared are beneficial for other institutional types.