Current research has focused primarily on the negative aspects of African American males and high school attainment, examining the misleading high school drop out rates among African American males rather than the steady increase in high school completion. My study explored the factors that help contribute to high school completion among African American males. My participants were seven African American males who were recent high school graduates planning to attend college. I used a qualitative approach specifically participatory research, to engage my participants in dialogues discussing their high school experiences as African American males. Through the dialogues the researcher was able to extract pertinent themes that reflected the participants' experiences. This study demonstrated that the following factors helped to contribute to high school completion among African American males: (a) a close relationship with parents or mentors helped to support and motivate African American males in their academic achievement, (b) positive teacher perception and high expectation, and (c) after school extra-curricular activities can have a positive impact on academic achievement. My study helped to shift the lens from the challenges African American males face within the educational system to focus the positive aspects of academic achievement among African American males. The findings of this study revealed that African American males have greater academic success with a strong support system/network in place. The findings showed that being involved in after-school extra-curricular activities helped to motivate young African American males and promote academic achievement. For those reasons, my research will make a significant impact on the ongoing scholarly research on African American males and academic achievement. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]