Black Male Persistence in a Graduate School of Education

Abstract

This capstone project is studying the Black male experiences that completed and did not complete the program. Specifically, this project explores 5 Black men's experiences and the ecological and sociological barriers faced as they worked to persist through the program. These barriers include racialized and gendered experiences within the program and critical relationships and interactions with peers and advisors. The findings reveal participants reporting feelings of hypervisibility due to the comparatively small enrollment of Black men in the program and the traumatic effects of witnessing many other Black males leave the program. The project concludes with recommendations to improve retention based on the findings.