Disappearing Acts: The Vanishing Black Male On Community College Campuses
Many consider community colleges “open door” institutions, denoting their unique role of providing an affordable and quality education for the masses. However, one has only to take a look behind those “open doors” to see very clearly that Black males are disappearing before they complete any meaningful goals, and those who remain lag behind other learners on almost every indicator of academic achievement.
http://diverseeducation.com/artman/publish/article_9184.shtml
November 1st, 2007 at 7:46 pm
The authors are to be congratulated on their courage in sounding this alarm. This problem, unfortunately, is by no means limited to Community Colleges. Rather, it is wide spread through out the (public) higher education system.
What surprises me though, is the stony and deafening silence this article has met!
Are we all busy trying to pretend that problem doesn’t exists?
In this day of globalized trade, I think we all do ourselves a disservice by studiously sticking our collective heads in the proverbial sand: this problem will not only NOT go way, but it will spread to other ethnicities as well.
Already there is evidence that, across most — if not all — ethnicities in USA, males are going to college in fewer numbers than females. It is just that for Black males the problem is especially acute. This is a national disgrace, given the resources this country has at its disposal; and the enormity of the stakes.
If you doubt this, next time you go to a national meeting on education just look around at the gender distribution in the audience. And, the distribution of ethnicities.
November 5th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
I work for a two year technical college and have also noticed the low percentages of Black Males on campus. When I am advising my students especially the Black sudents I urge them to tell friends, and other relatives about the importance of education and all the great benefits one can acheive by completing a formal education.
I strongly believe we need to emphasize more diversity among the cultural/ethnic groups and develop a Diversity Program inclusive of advertising for “Males Only.”
June 15th, 2008 at 12:14 am
This saddens me. With all the resources available to us, why are we as lack men refusing to capitalize on it? What have become of us? Are we so caught up in our own selfish desires that we have forgotten the importance of education? Brothers, wake up! We are beginning to turn back the clock. All we seem to be concerned with is quick money, “Getting Rich and Die Trying!” God Forbid! Our forefathers fought and died so that we could have this opportunity and we, selfishly, don’t care. For those of us who care, let get the word out. EDUCATE YOURSELF OR DIE TRYING!!”