Barriers to Black Male Undergraduate Educational Achievement (United States and Africa)

• In Event: Echoes Across Place and Space: Blackness, Diasporic Violence, and the University: Exploring the Black Experience in the University From an African Diasporic View and Connection

Abstract

Black males have been among the most vulnerable groups when interacting with formal education systems in the United States. This group is vastly overrepresented among students who are suspended, disciplined, and put at risk for exclusionary educational practices. This study explores the intersections around “Maleness” and “Blackness” and how these two components combine to create a unique risk for black male students. In their own words, self-identified black males from all parts of the African Diaspora talk about their experiences at a predominately white public research university in the Midwest of the United States. These men explore risk factors facing black men and how they perceived their position in the border university landscape. The study also examines the complexities around identity and how that informs their participation and interaction in the broader university community.

Author

• Bodunrin O. Banwo, University of Massachusetts - Boston