Running head: WHY DO AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES DO SO POORLY IN COLLEGE?

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Why Do African American Males Do So Poorly in College?
Tony Miller, Jr.
University of Memphis

Author Note
Tony Miller, Jr., Department of Adult and Higher Education, University of Memphis.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Tony Miller, Jr., Department of
Adult and Higher Education, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152.
Contact: tmller20@memphis.edu
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author. I have cited all sources from
which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this
paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.

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Signature

Date: 11/14/13

Abstract
It has become evident that African American males that set foot on college and university
campuses are not finding the same amount of success as other races or ethnicities. Experts,
professors, researchers, and people in general want to know why African American male students
seem to be lagging behind, not only their racial counterparts, but also their gender counterparts.
The literature will show many things that have been tried and developed in order to address this
phenomenon that has now become not only a trend, but expectation of African American male
college students. This paper will identify some actions that will allow African American male
college students to not only perform better in college and graduate, but also eventually pass their
counterparts in graduation rates, retention, and overall collegiate success. This paper will also
try to give an explanation to why these students are doing so poorly and what actually can work
in order to raise the level of academic success that these students see.
Keywords: African American males, college, success, graduation rate

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The lack of African American male college success is a problem that most of the country
is aware of. These students possess the lowest college graduation rate of all ethnicities, races,
and genders in the United States (Harper & Kuykendall, 2012). This topic is important because
this problem has become a more prevalent problem in our society over the last 15 years (Harper
& Kuykendall, 2012). A strategic plan must be created in order to implement the actions that the
research has uncovered. If every race or gender were struggling with this problem, then that one
statistic would not stick out as much as it does. However, other races and genders are graduating
within six years at higher percentages than just one third of their population, which is the case for
African American males (Harper & Kuykendall, 2012). The question that needs to be answered
is why the graduation rates of these particular students are so low and what can be done to
improve them? An even bigger question may even be what are the students who are graduating
within the six year period doing differently than those who are not? Is there something else going
on with African American male students that has not been discovered yet that will help solve this
problem?
Every student is different and they learn in different ways. When studying a particular
race, one will notice how the dynamics of that race change as well (Bush & Bush, 2010).
Although a certain style of teaching or learning may work for that student, the same thing may
not work for another type of student (Harper & Kuykendall, 2012). Often times a group of
students who are of the same race or ethnicity are grouped together and it is assumed that this
one way will reach every student in that group (Harper & Kuykendall, 2012).

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The collegiate experience is different for African American students (Dancy, 2010;
DeFreitas, 2011; Harris, III, & Wood, 2013; Harrington & Okech, 2002). DeFreitas hypothesized
that the outcome expectations by African Americans entering college play a major role in their
actual success. If a student thinks they will do well in college then they will do well according to
her (DeFreitas, 2011). However, DeFreitas found that African Americans that had negative
outcome expectations had higher levels of academic achievement (DeFreitas, 2011). To explain
this phenomena DeFreitas cites Aronson and Inzlicht (2004) who discussed the likelihood that
self-efficacy is not steady for African Americans who are likely to assume they are being
discriminated against when faced with uncomfortable situations.
When it comes to any student, especially African American males the domains in their
lives play a major role (Harris, III & Wood, 2013). Also, their self-efficacy is an important
aspect of everything that they do as well (DeFreitas, 2011; Harrington & Okech, 2002). These
two ideas can be grouped together by the social, environmental, and academics, institutional
domains that relate to academic self-efficacy. This can be said because Harris, III and Wood
(2013) say the academic, environmental, noncognitive, institutional, and social domains are the
five dynamics that play a role in academic success amongst men of color.
Harrington and Okech (2002) say African American men with higher Black
consciousness have higher academic self-efficacy than African American men with lower Black
consciousness. For African American men that are more secure or conscious of their blackness,
they tend to do better in the college atmosphere because they are secure with themselves and
they do not need anyone to tell them who or what they are (Dancy,2010; Harrington & Okech,
2002). The next couple sections will highlight why African American male college students do
so poorly, but also give insight as to what has worked and what can work. There are obviously

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other factors to this phenomena, but this paper will only cover the more obvious problems that
can be addressed sooner rather than later.
Lack of Preparation for College
College readiness was defined by the ACT in 2007 as the level of preparation a student
needs to enroll and succeedwithout remediationin a credit-bearing general education course
at 2-year or 4-year institution, trade school, or technical school (Moore et al., 2010, p. 819).
College has been deemed a place where opportunities can be endless. It is a place where
knowledge can be gathered and the knowledge that is gathered can help someone as they
progress throughout the rest of their life. One of the most glaring reasons that African American
college males are not performing well in college is because they are not prepared to enter college
(Cuyjet et al., 2006; Harper & Kuykendall, 2012). Many students are underprepared for college,
but African American students seem to be even more underprepared to attend college (Cuyjet et
al., 2006; Harper & Kuykendall, 2012; Moore et al., 2010).
There are many factors that can contribute to these students not being prepared. Research
has shown that socioeconomic challenges, lower overall high school grade point averages,
attitudes and perceptions of institutional characteristics, extent to which students interacted with
faculty members, limited educational resources, high dropout rates, and low levels of
achievement on most educational benchmark test (Bush & Bush, 2010; Harper, 2008; Nettles,
1998).
The items mentioned in the previous paragraph are all contributing factors as to why
African American male students do poorly in high school and why they are not prepared to
attend college. One can argue that if you struggle to get out of high school, then you are going to

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struggle to make it through college, because college is supposed to be more of a challenge than
high school. Many African American students view the schools that they attend with negative
attitudes and feel as if the teachers do not care about them as well as the high school as a whole,
so they detach themselves (Bush & Bush, 2010, Nettles, 1998). If African American students do
not feel like the teachers like them, then why would they go out of their way to interact and
connect with these teachers outside of the classroom (Bush & Bush, 2010, Nettles, 1998)?
Caucasian students view teachers differently and most of them engage them outside of the
classroom setting (Bush & Bush, 2010, Nettles, 1998).
The result of having a negative attitude towards school and the teachers that work in it
only result in bad grades, dropouts, and poor performance on standardized testing (Harper,
2010). So whenever an African American male student does graduate from high school they are
not prepared to enter college because of all the things they did not take seriously in high school
or their viewpoint of the teachers and the high school they attended (Bush & Bush, 2010; Harper,
2008; Nettles, 1998).
Lack of Student Involvement on Campus
Another contributing factor to why African American males do so poorly in college is
lack of campus involvement. Shaun Harper (2008) performed a study on high-achieving African
American male undergraduates and social capital. His study proved that the students that were
more intentional about becoming involved and had higher levels of social capital performed
better in college (Harper, 2008). Not only did they finish, but they also had a higher grade point
average as well (Harper, 2008)

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African American male college students do not typically participate in on campus

activities (Cuyjet et al., 2006). Even when universities are able to attain African American male
students, they struggle with retaining them and getting them across the stage (Cuyjet et al.,
2006). The climate of the campus plays a major role when retaining students (Cuyjet et al.,
2006; Harris, III, & Wood, 2013; Harper, 2008). If the students do not feel comfortable or
welcome then are not going to participate in on campus activities (Dancy, 2010; Kuh et al.,
2005). There is more predominantly white institutions than predominantly black institutions in
the United States, which means that most African American males that attend college will be in
the minority. These males will not only be in the minority by race, but also by gender compared
with their female peers because a lot more African American women attend college than African
American males (Cuyjet et al., 2006; Harper & Kuykendall, 2012).
What happens to African American males when they step on a college campus? They
isolate or alienate themselves and purposely do not get involved because they do not see many
people that look like them (Cuyjet et al., 2006). Harper (2008) and Zell (2011) have shown that
campus involvement leads to college success. Campus involvement does not just help the
individual academically, but it also helps them socially as well (Harper, 2008; Zell, 2011).
Another trend has also been noticed about African American males on college campuses is that
they often times seclude themselves to only joining black organizations or black fraternities
(Dancy, 2010). Organizations such as the Student Government Association (SGA) are looked
down upon by these students, because of the perception that they have formed towards them
(Cuyjet et al., 2006).
Harper (2003) did a study that looked at the impact out-of-class involvement had on 32
African American undergraduate male student leaders. These 32 student leaders then told Harper

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what their male peers were doing in their out-of-class time. The activities that were given were:
in residence hall rooms doing nothing, pursuing romantic endeavors with women, exercising in
the campus fitness center, playing video games, playing basketball and other sports, trying to
become rappers, showing off their material possessions, partying, hanging out with other African
American men at designated spots on campus, and studying alone in the library (Cuyjet et al,
2006, p. 74). This is proof as to why so many African American males are not graduating from
college. They are not spending their out-of-class time wisely. Many African American males do
not have their priorities in order. Harper (2008) along with other studies have shown that African
American male college students that are involved on campus, perform a lot better in the
classroom than those who choose not to be active on campus.
African American male college students look for places where they feel comfortable or
where they can feel accepted (Cuyjet et al., 2006; Dancy, 2010, Harris, III, & Wood, 2013; Zell,
2011). These students have no problem engaging in intramural sports or just hanging out at the
Student Center with their friends. These are the places in which they feel they can be themselves
(Cuyjet et al., 2006). Since African American males are underprepared for college, most are
unaware of the many things they can do on campus to get involved and have an impact or make a
difference (Moore et al, 2010). They are probably also unaware of the correlation that being
involved on campus has on their grades and on them as a person (Cuyjet et al., 2006; Harper,
2008; Zell, 2011).
No Sense of Belonging or Mattering
The third reason why African American male college students do so poorly in college is
due to them not having a sense of belonging or feeling as though they matter (Cuyjet et al., 2006;

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Harris, III, & Wood, 2013; Kuh et al, 2005; Zell, 2011). In her study of seven Chicago area
Brother2Brother (B2B) programs, Maristela Zell (2011) found that organizations like this brings
out the best in many of these students. She pointed out that these organizations have six core
themes. The themes are as follows: Academic motivation, personal presentation, validation of
emerging skills, personal growth, ethic of collaboration and rewarded through accountability.
(Zell, 2011)
The great thing about these themes are that they all can help students as they progress
through life (Zell, 2011). The B2B programs goals are exactly what this paper is about. They
promote academic motivation which is good, because many of these students are not motivated
when they come to college, because they think they will experience the same discrimination they
experienced in high school (Bush & Bush, 2010; Dancy, 2010; Harper, 2008; Harris, III, &
Wood, 2013).
Personal presentation and personal growth are very important tools needed in the real
world also. Most black men are aware of the stereotypes that they are faced with every day, so if
they are learning in college how to present themselves in public and also taking steps to grow
personally than they are making strides to become successful (Harper, 2008; Zell, 2011).
The validation of emerging skills was a very important theme because it entailed almost
all the other themes. This organization connected their members to other parts of the campus and
it also gave them the confidence and courage to step up and take leadership roles in other student
organizations (Zell, 2011). Mentoring skills were also developed and members of these groups
became mentors to high school students (Zell, 2011).

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The study of the B2B programs at these schools show how important it is for African
American males to feel a part of something. African American males are very relational beings
(Dancy, 2010). They want to be a part of something. If they feel that they matter or feel
important, they stick to whatever they are doing (Cuyjet et al., 2006; Dancy, 2010; Harper, 2008;
Harris, III, & Wood, 2013; Kuh et al., 2005; Zell, 2011). If these students stick with college then
that means that they will ultimately complete college, not only because they are involved on
campus, but they enjoy the environment that they are in and want to finish for themselves.
Fear of Being in a College Classroom
The last reason why African American males are doing so poorly in college is because
they are afraid of being in the college classroom (Cuyjet et al., 2006). African American
students, and even more so the male students are faced with many different obstacles in the
classroom that other ethnicities will not experience (Cuyjet et al., 2006). Often times these
students feel like they have to prove that they belong in the college classroom with their peers
and that is an added pressure (Cuyjet et al., 2006). These students also feel as though they are
being viewed as the spokesman of their race so if they give an incorrect answer in class they feel
that everyone in the room will feel that all black people are stupid (Cuyjet et al., 2006). There
are so many other mental things that these students go through when stepping into a college
classroom. They are already subconscious about being discriminated against because of their
color, they are attending a predominantly white institution where they will find themselves as
one of maybe three other students that look like them, but in most cases be the only black person
in the class (Cuyjet et al., 2006).

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Cuyjet cites Majors and Billson (1992) about a defense mechanism created by black male
students due to the fear that these students have in the classroom and other places where they feel
second class, they developed what Majors and Billson (1992) call cool pose.
Cool pose is a distinctive coping mechanism that serves to counter at least in part, the
danger that black males encounter on a daily basis. Cool pose is designed to render the
black male visible and to empower himCool pose is constructed from attitudes and
actions that become firmly entrenched in the black males psyche. By acting calm,
emotionless, fearless, aloof, and tough, the African American male strives to offset an
externally imposed zero image. Being cool shows both the dominant culture and the
black male himself that he is strong and powerful. (p. 17)
Self-image plays a big part with African American males (Dancy, 2010; Harrington &
Okech, 2002). Self-image also plays a role into self-efficacy (DeFreitas, 2011; Harrington &
Okech, 2002; Harris, III, & Wood, 2013). If the student does not have faith in themselves, then
the belief of them believing they will be successful is not likely (DeFreitas, 2011; Harrington &
Okech, 2002; Harris, III, & Wood, 2013). African American males want to feel accepted and if
they do not feel as if they are being accepted, they will go into whatever direction they feel will
help them be accepted (Dancy, 2010; Harris, III, & Wood, 2013). Many different organizations
have been formed to help African American males feel accepted and, as a result, go into the right
direction regarding college academics (Cuyjet et al., 2006; Zell, 2011).
Academic success has not been looked at as a sign of masculinity amongst African
American male college students (Dancy, 2010). Often times the African American male college
student who is doing well in college is looked down upon (Dancy, 2010). The priority for most
African American college males has been to be the most popular, have the most girls, be the
athletic superstar, along with other superficial values that do not help them graduate (Dancy,
2010). Dancy cited Tatum & Charlton (2008) in his article because they defined four factors that

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influenced masculinity among college men: male authority figures; sports and competition;
media and society; and influences of male peers (Dancy, 2010).
Many African American males have their priorities out of order and they forget the real
reason why they came to college. It can be argued that African American males do not lack the
ability to be successful in college, they just do not put the concerted effort forward in order to do
so (Bush & Bush, 2010; Nettles, 1998). There is an understanding on how African American
males are viewed in society and many feel in order to be successful, it must come in the form of
athletics, women, cars, and other superficial items (Tatum & Charlton, 2008). Priorities of these
students seem to be a very significant component as to why these students are not performing
well on the collegiate level (Dancy, 2010; Harper, 2003).
Conclusion
African American male college students struggle in college for many different reasons
(Bush & Bush, 2010; Dancy, 2010; DeFreitas, 2011; Harper, 2008; Harris, III, & Wood, 2013;
Harrington & Okech, 2002; Nettles, 1998). Some of those reasons have been identified
throughout the paper. There are many other reasons why African American male students do so
poorly in college too, but these are the few highlighted. Until a change happens about how
African American male college students are engaged then this trend will continue to carry on.
African American male college students need to be embraced and taught the different
dynamics of the college atmosphere so they will not automatically view college as a place that
they will go to fail. Intentional engagement and actions must happen so that these students can
explore the different avenues that are available to them. Previously successful African American
college males need to sit down and have a real conversation about this serious problem, if they

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are concerned as they say they are. A difference can be made and the graduation numbers can be
risen to higher levels. Once programs and initiatives are brought to fruition for these young men
to be set up to succeed, that will be when the trend of them being set up to fail will change.

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