African American Education
Introduction
Higher education provides an avenue for individuals to gain skills and competencies that will benefit them far into the future. Furthermore, possessing a college degree can improve a person’s family dynamics and outcomes and allow him or her to leave a positive legacy. Because formal education is recognized for the positive life outcomes that it creates, some groups in society have always pursued it; however, it has also been a privilege that not all people could access. African-Americans have not always had an opportunity to receive a formal education, and African-American males have not had the same advantages as others. Although African-American males can access higher education today, their college completion rates have …show more content…
During this time, African-American students could attend predominantly white colleges in the North but not in the south. After the G.I. Bill was signed, African-American males that served in the military were able to benefit from it because it was race-neutral; however, the educational facilities that African-Americans attended were not the same as white students (McDaniel, DiPrete, Buchmann & Shwed, 2011). Not until the Brown versus the Board of Education Decision in 1954 were public K-12 schools integrated (Allen, 1992). The Brown Decision not only integrated K-12 schools, but it also desegregated the higher education academy (Harvey, Harvey & King, 2004). Therefore, colleges and universities in the southern states did not open their doors for admissions to African-American students until the 1960s.
During the 1960s, as the nation responded to the Civil Rights Movement, access to higher education increased for African-Americans students when they were allowed to attend predominantly white colleges or institutions (PWIs) (Allen, 1992). Even though African-American students can now attend colleges of their choice, there are still issues that prevent African-American students from completing their degrees, persisting from year to year, and making progress in school. In 1988, 60 percent …show more content…
In 2008, only 47 percent of African-American males graduated from high school on time compared to seventy-eight percent of their white counter parts (Harper, 2012). Not only are African-American males less likely to graduate from high schools, they also are not as well prepared academically for college (Harper, 2012). In the last few years, there have been single sex schools created to educate African-American and Latino males, but the research has been mixed as to if the schools have been beneficial for the preparation of these young men for college work (Noguera, 2012).
In 2002, African-American males composed only 4.3 percent of the males enrolled in higher education, which was the same number in 1976 (Harper, 2012). Furthermore, African-American male completion rates are lower than females and the lowest among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States (Harper, 2012). The six year graduation rate for African-American males attending public colleges and universities was thirty-three percent compared to 48.1 percent of other students (Harper,
Higher education provides an avenue for individuals to gain skills and competencies that will benefit them far into the future. Furthermore, possessing a college degree can improve a person’s family dynamics and outcomes and allow him or her to leave a positive legacy. Because formal education is recognized for the positive life outcomes that it creates, some groups in society have always pursued it; however, it has also been a privilege that not all people could access. African-Americans have not always had an opportunity to receive a formal education, and African-American males have not had the same advantages as others. Although African-American males can access higher education today, their college completion rates have …show more content…
During this time, African-American students could attend predominantly white colleges in the North but not in the south. After the G.I. Bill was signed, African-American males that served in the military were able to benefit from it because it was race-neutral; however, the educational facilities that African-Americans attended were not the same as white students (McDaniel, DiPrete, Buchmann & Shwed, 2011). Not until the Brown versus the Board of Education Decision in 1954 were public K-12 schools integrated (Allen, 1992). The Brown Decision not only integrated K-12 schools, but it also desegregated the higher education academy (Harvey, Harvey & King, 2004). Therefore, colleges and universities in the southern states did not open their doors for admissions to African-American students until the 1960s.
During the 1960s, as the nation responded to the Civil Rights Movement, access to higher education increased for African-Americans students when they were allowed to attend predominantly white colleges or institutions (PWIs) (Allen, 1992). Even though African-American students can now attend colleges of their choice, there are still issues that prevent African-American students from completing their degrees, persisting from year to year, and making progress in school. In 1988, 60 percent …show more content…
In 2008, only 47 percent of African-American males graduated from high school on time compared to seventy-eight percent of their white counter parts (Harper, 2012). Not only are African-American males less likely to graduate from high schools, they also are not as well prepared academically for college (Harper, 2012). In the last few years, there have been single sex schools created to educate African-American and Latino males, but the research has been mixed as to if the schools have been beneficial for the preparation of these young men for college work (Noguera, 2012).
In 2002, African-American males composed only 4.3 percent of the males enrolled in higher education, which was the same number in 1976 (Harper, 2012). Furthermore, African-American male completion rates are lower than females and the lowest among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States (Harper, 2012). The six year graduation rate for African-American males attending public colleges and universities was thirty-three percent compared to 48.1 percent of other students (Harper,