“Don’t be another statistic.” This is a phrase I’ve repeatedly told my black brother, cousins, and male friends. During times when they became discouraged and were on the verge of giving up, I’d have discussions with them about not sacrificing their dreams due to personal setbacks. The stories are disheartening. One of my male cousins was contemplating dropping out of school because of academic and personal reasons. He lamented that the curriculum was too intense and he had no real direction regarding his career path. My teenage brother was in a similar predicament, he was indecisive about applying to colleges, claiming it was a waste of time and offered no real benefits (thankfully he changed his mind and is attending college in the fall, and that’s only because my mother insisted). I even debated one of my friends on the merits of earning a bachelor’s degree after he said he was losing his resolve to get one. Then there are countless stories that I hear personally about how black men are on academic probation, failed to attend classes, left high school, struggled with acquiring financial aid, or resorted to working dead-end jobs in order to support themselves. You don’t read enough articles hailing black males as businessmen, investors, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. The fact that these conversations and problematic circumstances happen so often, especially among black men and boys, is alarming. Black men already have many social stigmas placed upon them and unfortunately a lack of formal education is one of them.
For years, there has been a widening academic retention gap between black men and their white peers. According to a 2011-2012 study conducted by the Schott Foundation for Public Education, “the national graduation rate for black men was 59 percent, for Latinos 65 percent, and for whites 80 percent. Particularly striking were figures for Detroit, where only 23 percent of African American male students graduated from high school on time.” Black women have also gained a huge lead over black men in college degree attainment. A 2009 study done by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported that “there are 2,670,000 black women with a four-year degree or better. This compares to only 1,909,000 black men. Therefore, it turns out that black women account for almost 58 percent of all the African Americans who have completed four years of college or more in [The United States].”
These statistics are dismal, and although there’s some research on the lack of black men enrolling in universities, I wanted to discover the “why” behind it. I spoke to Levar Smith, a political science professor at Morehouse College, to get his perspective on why there’s a deficient amount of black male college graduates, and what programs Morehouse offers to counteract this trend.
Professor Smith has taught international relations and comparative politics at Morehouse for six years. As a first generation high school graduate, he emphasized the transformative power of education in breaking generational cycles. “I see myself in every student that attends Morehouse. I empathize with where they are and where they tend to go, as well as their personal struggles.” Smith revealed that he grew up in an inner city neighborhood in California. During the late 80s and early 90s, he was constantly barraged with negative portrayals and images of black men. Popular culture associated them with criminality, drugs, and delinquency. Literature and political campaigns constantly depicted them as super predators and absentee fathers. He said Morehouse contradicted those representations with examples of black male success and academic achievement, citing notable alumni like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Smith viewed the educational establishment as a premier institution for black men, which is why he chose to attend. In 2002 Smith graduated from Morehouse with a B.A. in international studies, later earning two master’s degrees from Georgia Tech and Miami University. Presently, he’s a PhD candidate in political science at Miami University. He hopes to uphold the college’s historical reputation through his teachings. “All of us who teach at Morehouse are mentors to our students,” he said. “We believe in the possibility of black men and black male excellence.”
A little background on Morehouse. Morehouse is a private historically black men’s college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is the only HBCU (historically black college and university) that caters to men. The college was initially named the Augusta Institute. It was founded in 1867 by Rev. William Jefferson White in the basement Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia, with the encouragement of former slave the Rev. Richard C. Coulter and the Rev. Edmund Turney of the National Theological Institute. Under the first president Dr. Joseph T. Robert, the academic institution was meant to prepare black men for professions in ministry and teaching. Over its 150-year history, the college has evolved into a powerhouse, producing educated men and global leaders in scholarship and service. The National Science Foundation ranked Morehouse as the “No. 1 producer of black men who receive doctorates in education, life and physical sciences, math and computer sciences, psychology and social sciences, as well as humanities and the arts.” On their website, Morehouse notes that it currently has “more than 17,000 alumni representing more than 40 states and 14 countries.” Graduates on their roster have made significant contributions, becoming Rhodes Scholars, college presidents, and trendsetters in their respective fields. Some distinguished alumni include: Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, business executive Herman Cain, Fmr. U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, attorney Bakari Sellers, and fmr. Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson. Music producer Leland Tyler Wayne, more popularly known as Metro Boomin (a regular on my Spotify playlist), also attended the esteemed academic institution.
The legacies and decorative careers achieved by these men are partially based on Morehouse nurturing their potential, according to Smith. He divulged that a large percentage of Morehouse attendees come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, single-family households, and academic challenges. The aforementioned barriers make it increasingly difficult for young black men to enroll as undergraduates. This is compounded with steadily rising tuition rates, with Morehouse itself being about $50K a year. “The cost of education has gone up, the affordability is grounded in privilege that excludes black males,” he stated. On top of external factors, there are also internal conflicts, such as black men’s perception of themselves and their idea of financial advancement. “Black men come from a culture historically that has prioritized hard work over education. Unlike Booker T. Washington and W.E.B DuBois, as a black man, you demonstrated your worth in white society with hard work and hard labor, not intellectual pursuit.” Denied access to certain resources and opportunities created a culture where black men devised other ways to make money. Drug dealing, sports, and music are popularized in the black community, ultimately persuading black men that these are the fastest and easiest methods of gaining massive wealth. “To be successful black men in society you don’t become Robert Smith [black billionaire and chairman of Vista Equity Partners, LLC], but 2 Chainz or LeBron James…so you don’t need that college degree,” Smith said. *Side note: Robert Smith gave the commencement address to Morehouse’s 2019 graduating class and pledged to pay off the student loans of roughly 400 graduates. The businessman is also the richest black man in the U.S., amassing a $5 billion fortune from his private equity firm, which specializes in purchasing and selling software companies.
Regarding the phenomenon of more black women attending college than black men, Smith said that shift is being seen on a broader scale. He explains that the number of men attending college is on the decline and more women are replacing them. College engagement by gender has reversed, with women holding the mantle. According to the U.S. Department of Education, in 2017 they projected that 2.2 million fewer men than women will be enrolled in college. Despite men historically attending college at proportions exceedingly higher than women (58 percent to 42 percent as recently as the 1970s). By 2026, the department predicts “57 percent of college students will be women.” Within the scope of the black community, Smith highlighted that there are specific causes as to why black women are surpassing their male counterparts in academic performance, college retention, and degree acquisition. “There was a New York Times report that said 1.5 million black men were missing from society due to poverty and mass incarceration. This influenced how families are shaped and how black women see themselves,” he concluded. “There’s an acceptance and celebration of black girl magic, an era where they’re able to showcase intellect and levels of educational attainment; grow in more corporate or leadership roles; have influence; and parallel in the absence of black men being in college.” A large majority of black households are now sustained by women, which according to Smith, dismantles patriarchal attitudes and further incentivizes black women to adopt more executive, white-collar, and full-time occupations. Smith encourages people to contemplate the socioeconomic conditions black men are subjected to and how those circumstances shaped them. “It’s multifaceted, part is the narrative that African American men aren’t able to be productive members of society after college. There’s odds established against them and a wage gap between black men and white men that hasn’t been fully explored.” Smith said black women and men have switched positions, black women currently have higher value than their opposite gender. He believes that the Black Lives Matter movement can change the narrative by reminding people how vital black men are (it’s also important to reciprocate this message when it comes to black women).
On top of conversing about why so many black men aren’t applying to college, Professor Smith also touched upon why those who are enrolled are dropping out. Smith pointed out that the dropout rate can depend on many variables. He said black male retention largely falls on the college or university. Black men from various educational backgrounds can have trouble at PWIs (predominately white institutions). “Not only do they deal with issues of class or race, but the marginalization of the institutions themselves.” He explained that there’s a shortage of support and minimal (if any) focus on retainment once the students actually get to college. Smith admitted that Morehouse shares some of these challenges. “There’s some men that want to be at Morehouse but don’t have the aptitude to stay. For example, we may accept a man who was a middle of the road performer in high school,” he said. “With no family support or programs, and no proper mentors or people who look like them, it can lead to factors of black men not attaining an education.”
Morehouse is unique in that their entire foundation is based on the premise of instructing and counseling young black men. They facilitate the interaction between black American men and black men from around the world, forging a space where men from countries like Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, South Africa, and The United States, can network and build long- lasting personal connections. Morehouse also produces examples of black male success through men who previously attended. Oprah Winfrey gave a $13 million endowment to the all-male college, leading them to create a scholarship program in her name. This is coupled with a South African fellowship, where students are prompted to make comparisons between themselves and South African citizens. Other programs consist of the Bonner Scholars Program, which develops community outreach projects to service greater Atlanta; and a study abroad course where black men travel to Liberia.
Smith emphasized that we need to identify the root of the problem, which are challenges black men face before reaching institutions of higher learning. “We have to take a deeper dive into how they’re being educated, mentored, and sustained through a K-12 level,” he said. Parents and educators should spot any social impediments in young black males by asking a few of these questions:
- How do they see themselves as men?
- How do they handle anxiety, anger, and depression?
- Who are black men really?
- What is a black man’s sense of self?
- Do they see themselves in society?
Smith expressed pride at the fact that Morehouse creates a sense of self in black men, however, millions of those men don’t get the opportunity to attend. He stresses that this is a symptom of a larger systemic issue, indicating the socioeconomic conditions many black men hail from and the infamous classroom to prison pipeline. “Education is a tool for young black men. Education can be a pathway towards a socioeconomic ladder of cultural sensitivity and critical engagement. We only rest on education and we’re missing the main issue, which is K-12.” He asserted. “You look into a 4th grade classroom and see young inner city black males. By the time they reach 15 they’ll be incarcerated.” This claim is supported by Insight Into Diversity. They interviewed Oscar Barbarin, PhD, chair and professor in the African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland, College Park, on the state of black men in prisons. He noted that “African American men figure so prominently in the correctional system that the number of African American 4-year-old males can be used to model the number of people who will be incarcerated 15 to 20 years in the future.” His analysis projected that by “2029, prisons will house almost 20 percent of the African American 4-year-olds now living in America.” Smith said the educational environment and environment are interconnected. There has to be community ties and a safe space where black men can thrive. He lists the church and other black men in professional and educational capacities that can instill guidance. “It is the responsibility of all of us in the black community to find ways to transform the community.”
The number of black men attending college doesn’t have to remain dismally low. Smith presented solutions that parents, educators, and academic institutions can implement in order to retain and uplift black men. He said colleges and universities can accommodate to black men and men of color by truly embodying diversity and inclusion initiatives. “They need to be truly committed and passionate about having black men in the classroom, especially at PWIs,” Smith said. “Educational institutions need to be more engaged in their communities…beyond the subset of students they tend to pull from [who happen to be from] a specific socioeconomic class as well. What are they doing to break the diversity barrier not only within the classroom, but in the student body? How can you have educational leadership in the administration when you don’t have black men as administrators?” The National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2017 that “of the 1.5 million faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, 41 percent were White males; 35 percent were White females; 6 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander males; 5 percent were Asian/Pacific Islander females; and 3 percent each were Black males, Black females, Hispanic males, and Hispanic females.” American Indian and Alaska Natives barely constituted 1 percent of full-time faculty.
According to Professor Smith, we need to explore mentors and role models for black men to emulate. He also underlined how we need to do more research on how they became who they are. “Seek learning for the sake of learning. Our educational experience is defined by exams and tests,” he said. He also mentions the age of social media in providing instant gratification and commercialized versions of success. “We get sound bites and tweets about broader things, we need to take time and excavate.”
On a final note, Smith advises that support and encouragement shouldn’t be examined on a micro-scale, but a macro one instead. “It’s less about the family and more about the community. Most students are bright but may come from a disadvantaged background, it’s not always the parents,” he said. “Families are working two to three jobs to make ends meet, mom isn’t there to supervise or make PTA meetings. We’ve idealized where parents are supposed to help with education.” Smith said parents should be invested in their own educational attainment, this in turn can inspire their children and promote the importance of learning in the household. Programs should be implemented to educate parents on how to better service their kids, finish obtaining their GEDs and register for college courses, and form more work opportunities with higher wages. “It’s the politics of survival, people are just trying to get through their day, that’s where the community gets involved. There can be more college educated people helping.” The community should come together so black men aren’t abandoned. The leadership, love, and encouragement community members can provide can be influential in saving a lot of black men from being another statistic. As Professor Smith eloquently puts it, “Dig beyond deeper into how [black men] are being taught. Black men should be bold and vulnerable. Boldness comes across as bravado, we need to be vulnerable too. We have trouble saying we don’t know something or understanding the material, or understanding life. Allow more black men to be vulnerable and take off the mask of being macho and cool. Allow them to grow.”
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