New Report: Men of Color Discuss Their Experiences in Community College

Posted by on April 19, 2010

Community colleges: factors of success and failure for men of color

A new report from MDRC draws on the experiences of African-American, Hispanic, and Native American men enrolled in developmental math courses in community colleges, examining what affects their success in these institutions. The 87 men in the study participated in the Lumina Foundation’s Achieving the Dream initiative, a national effort to improve student outcomes and reduce achievement gaps at community colleges. The fieldwork explored how students’ experiences in their high schools and communities, as well as their identities as men of color, influenced decisions to go to college and engage in school. The study found no common upbringing among participants, but many shared common motivations, often to increase earning power and act as role models for their children. These men had encountered low expectations and negative stereotypes based on their race, ethnicity, and gender in their high schools and communities. Though most initially found their community college more welcoming, they reported negative encounters over time with some faculty and staff, though they explicitly rejected these. Norms related to their identity as men — characterized principally by self-reliance — exerted a powerful influence on their ability to engage. Whether prioritizing paid work over school, avoiding making friends on campus, or failing to seek out academic or financial help, these men frequently acted in ways that reinforced their masculine identities but hindered their chances of academic success.

See the report: http://www.mdrc.org/publications/547/overview.html