Material Detail

Both predominantly White institutions (PWIs) and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are experiencing low academic persistence rates of Black males. While researchers have focused on factors facilitating the retention and persistence for Black males at PWIs, a paucity of contemporary research has focused on the academic and social experiences of Black males at HBCUs. We used in-depth interview methods to investigate the academic and social experiences of 11 Black males, who entered a public HBCU through its remedial or developmental studies program and persisted to graduation. Although several themes emerged from this study, special attention was placed on the impact of an HBCU helping to facilitate Black male academic achievement. More specifically, participants in this study credited the university’s racial composition, support from peers, faculty, and role models in helping to increase their propensity for learning and academic success.