Critical Race Mentoring: A Framework for Supporting Men of Color

• In Event: Critical Race Theory and Epistemic Mechanisms

Abstract

We conceptualize Critical Race Mentoring (CRM) as an offering grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT) to elevate our collective efforts in supporting and serving Men of Color (MoC) in higher education. As CRT scholars have contended, CRT centers attention on the broad cultural knowledge that socially marginalized groups possess as well as their skills, abilities, and assets. We propose CRM as a resource that can guide how institutional agents work with and support MoC, with a particular focus on Male Success Initiatives which are designed to enhance these students’ recruitment, retention, and persistence. A CR Mentoring approach to supporting MoC includes centering race, affirming and validating students’ intersectional identities, changing the narrative about MoC, supporting counterspaces, and providing holistic support.

Authors

• Eligio Martinez, Cal Poly Pomona

• Derrick R. Brooms, Morehouse College

• Joseph Romero-Reyes, Iowa State University

• Joe Louis Hernandez, Mt. San Antonio College