This research is a qualitative case study exploring the experiences of African American male mentoring community college students. Such programs have proliferated throughout higher education, over the past 20 years, in an effort to improve the retention, performance and goal attainment of African American males. The theoretical framework shaping the study was Critical Race Theory, which acknowledges the centrality of race in every aspect of culture in the United States, including higher education. Three research questions guided this study: (1) How do African American Male Mentoring students describe their educational journeys at a Southeastern Community College? (2) What do African American males perceive as their cultural identity through participation in a Southeastern Community College mentoring program? (3) What particular aspects of this Southeastern Community College's mentoring program contributed to student academic progress? In the case study tradition, I delved into the program extensively through a review of program related documents, program staff interviews, focus groups with mentoring participants, multiple participant interviews which included narrative biography, and expressive photography regarding their mentoring experiences. The educational journey findings revealed that participants described that experience as being emotionally uplifting, as a source for gaining access to critical knowledge, and as an avenue for personal development. The cultural identity findings indicated that there was little deliberate movement through Cross's Racial Identity Development model but that through examination of other cultural signifiers including expressive attire, participants grew in their perception of their unique culture. The academic progress findings showed that students benefited from positive interactions with BEAAM staff members and from several of the program's structural elements. There were three overall conclusions based on the research. The first conclusion was that participants learned navigation strategies that offset encounters with institutionalized racism. The second conclusion was that participants embraced affirming counter narratives as part of growth in their cultural identity. The final conclusion was that the program's staff and structure functions in an interest convergence capacity in that it was a means for establishing racial equality for students by enabling them to attain their educational goals. At the same time the program met the larger community's need to have this population contribute to the community through increased levels of education and employment. [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.]