Historically, Black men have had limited opportunities to obtain doctoral degrees or faculty positions at U.S. institutions of higher education. Few interventions exist to change historical trends and promote positive examples of successful Black male scholars. Using a collaborative autoethnographic methodological approach, we share our personal…

Although significant underrepresentation remains, many Black men successfully complete PhDs in science, accruing resources and deploying resilience strategies to manage stress including the constant stress associated with racism. We explore the role resilience plays in the success of three Black men, using annual interviews collected from…

The purpose of this study was to explore the achievement perceptions of African American high school males, as related to California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Although the LCFF was designed to improve equity in school funding, there is grave potential for the needs of African American students to go unmet. Pearson's correlations with…

Inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois' groundbreaking innovation in spatial research methodologies in "The Philadelphia Negro," this study uses critical spatial analysis to examine impacts of race, poverty, and violence exposure on trauma vulnerability and educational outcomes of Black children and families in Charlotte, North Carolina. Geographic…

Schools must rely on a sound theory to practice relationships in their design. This study documents one school's attempt to design a science school for African American boys. Through a mixed methods study of pre- and post-year interviews and surveys, this study documented how their views changed during year 1. The authors discovered three myths…

Despite a long-standing history of structural and institutional challenges, there are a significant number of Black males who achieve positive academic outcomes. This article examines Black males who attended college after graduating from an all-male, predominantly Black Charter High School in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Findings…

In this article, optimal resource theory (ORT) is introduced as a research framework to enhance student outcomes and inform best-practices in schools. ORT uses historical research perspectives and limitations from existing theories to inform its development. ORT principles are described and a national dataset is used to demonstrate the efficacy of…

The purpose of this study was to explore participants' academic experiences, their academic motivation and the role of peers on their academic achievement. Participants (N = 27) were comprised of high-achieving African American male student-athletes from four academically rigorous American universities on the West Coast. A majority of the…

This study asserts that African American males with higher grade point averages (GPAs) in college are also academically and socially integrated into campus and hold racial identity attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs that facilitate their level of institutional integration. The statistical study of 190 African American males attending five…

In recent years, researchers have devoted much discussion to finding ways to increase the academic success of Black males in K-12 and higher education. Despite this emphasis, Black male enrollment in higher education stands at 4.5%, which is the same as it was in 1976. One factor noted by researchers for the stagnation among Black male college…

This article draws from a qualitative case study of 22 teachers of African American males who participated in a screening event of the documentary Beyond the Bricks as part of a community engagement project in three cities: New Orleans, New York, and Oakland Through the lenses of critical race theory and the Matrix Achievement Paradigms typology,…

The purpose of this study was to allow African American males across generations to share their perceptions of the factors that affected their schooling experiences and influenced their achievement in and beyond school. Individual interviews were conducted with men and boys within the context of their home environment; outside of the schools the…

The need for African American male teachers is clear; however their pathway to teaching is in disrepair. This article shares research findings and a description of a pre-collegiate course designed to encourage high school students of color, including African American males, to explore teaching. More specifically, drawing from survey and interview…

The current study examined associations between home-school dissonance and several academic and psychological variables among 80 African American male high school students. Regression analyses revealed that home-school dissonance significantly predicted multiple academic and psychological variables, including amotivation, academic cheating,…

The educational outcomes of African American male students have been explored by several scholars. What has been lacking, however, is an examination of the role of spirituality and religion as it pertains to the educational experiences of African American male students, especially those who have been successful along the mathematics continuum. In…