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Shaping Success Among Black Males In An Hbcu: A Study Of Barriers And Benefits, Robert T. Palmer, T. Elon Dancy

Robert T. Palmer, PhD

Attrition for Black men is a serious problem in higher education. While researchers have explored factors of retention for Black men attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs), less research explains factors underlying the success of Black men attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), particularly those men who are academically unprepared. Eleven Black men, who entered a public, urban HBCU through its pre-college program and persisted to graduation, indicated that their social networks play a vital role in facilitating retention and persistence. The results from this study are transferable to other HBCUs which seek to enhance retention among Black male collegians.