This qualitative study described and examined the characteristics, components and theoretical design of the Student African-American Brother (SAAB). The SAAB is a national program that seeks to increase the academic and social integration of African-American males in higher education to increase their potential to graduate with an undergraduate degree. The SAAB's academic and social integration strategies were compared to Bean and Bennett's conceptual model of black student attrition to determine the congruency between the organization's strategies and the theoretical framework. The methodology was case study. Thirty semi-structured interviews were held with past and current members of the organization to gain a broader knowledge of the SAAB strategies and interventions used to promote their academic and social integration. The research revealed the SAAB applies a three dimensional approach which consists of providing a supportive environment, supporting academic goals, and encouraging campus and community involvement. This approach increases the students' understanding of the organization and structure of the higher education setting to yield successful matriculation through a four year college or university.

Discrimination, racism, and class bias affects the accessibility of resources available to African American males who are exoffenders. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American, male exoffenders' ability to access resources postincarceration. Guided by Bell and Freeman's critical race theory, a purposeful sample of 6 African American, male exoffenders were recruited from 2 reentry programs in the Northeast United States. A semistructured interview approach was employed to examine the life history, details of experience, and reflection on the meaning of the lived experience from the participants. The modified Stevick, Colaizzi, and Keen method of analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Seven themes emerged that included the stigma of a criminal record, lack of resources, good family support, the importance of employment, accountability, responsibility, lack of education, and the environment that can impact the success or failure of an exoffender's reentry. Policymakers in the criminal justice system can change the current policy that underestimates the extent to which the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 has affected the resources that African American, male exoffenders need to reintegrate into society. The positive social change implication is that service providers can use the results of this study to better serve the needs of African American, male exoffenders as they transition from prison into society.

Although school districts in Florida have reported a decrease in the overall dropout rate, the dropout rate among African American males remains higher than it does for any other ethnic group. Guided by Ogbu's oppositional culture theory, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the high dropout rate among African American males and determine some of the social, cultural, educational, and economic elements that may hinder African American males from completing high school. A purposive sample of 10 African American males who dropped out of high school and who were between the ages of 18 and 35 was selected to participate in this study. Thirty open-ended interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using an open coding system. Twelve themes emerged that provided evidence of the complex factors associated with dropping out. The major themes included lack of motivation from parents and teachers, disengagement from the educational institution, economic challenges related to poverty, and peer influence. It is recommended that programs and curricula be developed and implemented that would create opportunities to build positive relationships between African American male students and their teachers, parents, and peers. Positive social change could occur with an increase in the graduation rate of African American male students, which would offer a more educated work force for the community.

Black males complete college at a lower rate than do all ethnic minority groups in the United States. Many universities have developed programs to improve educational outcomes for Black males, yet graduation rates remain low. The purpose of this study was to explore the engagement experiences of Black male college graduates who participated in the African American Male Initiative, a successful program developed by the University Systems of Georgia. The organizational learning theory was used to address how an academic institution can work collectively to adapt to changes that occur within the learning environment. Also, the anti-deficit achievement framework was used to discover the interventions that helped participants' complete college. The research questions in this study examined engagement experiences, preferred activities, motives for selecting certain activities, and the interventions that helped participants succeed. Data were collected via semi-structured, in-depth phone interviews with 6 participants. Creswell's version of Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen phenomenological method was used to move inductively from significant statements to 8 themes that emerged from interview answers. Results showed all participants attended an AAMI class twice a week and 5 out of 6 participants engaged in other campus activities (student government, fraternities, Black Student Alliance). Four interventions that helped participants graduate included: (a) learning study and leadership skills, (b) mentorship, (c) networking, and (d) building relationships with peers in the program. This study is expected to contribute to social change by informing high schools, colleges, and universities of successful methods that may help improve academic outcomes for Black male college students.

Since the Post-9/11 GI Bill an increasing number of veterans and military students are seeking to complete degrees online and through enrollment at campuses across the nation (Brown 2011). The increased number of military students in postsecondary education settings presents challenges and opportunities for both the veteran student and institution of higher education. Military students also referred to as veteran students are choosing to pursue postsecondary education for occupational and employment opportunities, personal growth and enrichment, and to use their Post-9/11 GI education benefits. It is expected that military personnel with past military service in Afghanistan and Iraq will become a growing student population enrolled in U.S postsecondary education. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the experiences and expectations of an African American male veteran student at an institution of higher education. This qualitative research study included an in-depth interview with an African American male veteran student. Through interviewing the participant, I listened to the experiences and expectations from an African American male veteran student from Iraq War who attended a state assisted predominantly Caucasian university. The collection and analysis of his stories gave me an understanding of his diverse needs, experiences, and expectations.

While a number of studies have indicated disparities in mental health services use among African-Americans, specific factors that account for within-group disparities have not been thoroughly addressed. Research shows that African-American adolescent males generally are less likely to utilize mental health services and this is especially true among those involved with the juvenile justice system (Hazen, Hough, Landsverk, & Wood, 2004). Previous research indicates that culture is a viable and necessary factor to consider regarding African-Americans' pattern of mental health help-seeking (Cauce et al., 2002). This study utilized a qualitative research design and the Network-Episode Model (NEM) (Pescosolido & Boyer, 1999) as the theoretical framework to examine the influence of culture on the attitudes of African American adolescent males released from juvenile detention facilities to understand their mental health help-seeking. Criterion sampling procedures were utilized to recruit for the study, two groups of African-American adolescent males (n = 54) who initially received services at John Hope Family Renewal Center following their release from juvenile detention. In-depth interviews with participants were conducted and participants' case records were reviewed. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts produced four overarching themes: (1) beliefs about causes of mental health problems, (2) other beliefs about mental health, (3) social barriers - isolation/exclusion, and (4) social network influence on service utilization. Comparisons were made between those youth who used services and those who discontinued service use. Findings revealed that: 1) participants' beliefs about the root causes of mental health problems prevented some from utilizing mental health services, 2) cultural factors partially influenced participants' attitudes and negatively shaped their behaviors towards use of mental health services. Findings also revealed that mental health stigma, ineffective treatment, fear and shame from peers, negative community reaction, and mistrust of mental health providers were important barriers to service utilization. Implications for social work practice, policy, and future research are discussed.

This qualitative study examined the impact of TRIO-Upward Bound and Math Science programs for 12th-grade African-American male participants. The overall aim studied their self-efficacy in fulfilling graduation requirements and academic achievement in preparation for acceptance into a postsecondary institution. Data collection methods for this study were comprised of interviews, surveys, and student achievement data. Utilizing the qualitative director interviews, the researcher analyzed the data and presented the impact of independent variables on the effectiveness of the Upward Bound TRIO program for African-American 12th-grade males. A comparison of two Upward Bound TRIO programs at a select urban southern institution was conducted in the southern region of Georgia. The results were analyzed and queried as to whether the academic challenges confronting economically disadvantaged potential first generation college students, particularly African-American males, suggest an urgent call to action for an effective intervention strategy.

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Effective citizenship practice in the United States has several important characteristics, which can provide the foundation for young people to access opportunity in employment and education. A continuum of policies, programs, and strategies meant to alleviate poverty have central themes of providing education and vocational opportunities, and yet large numbers of young minority people remain disenfranchised with no chance to succeed. There is even greater loss in the population of African American males who otherwise could achieve stable and strong economic life styles. Large unemployment and under-employment of African American males is documented through U.S. data sources where declining rates of labor force participation of black males is starkly evident (U.S. Census 2000). Geographic influences for minority youth also increase limited access to educational and employment opportunities (Slack & Jenson, 2002). What is clear is that minority youth are faced with a disproportionately difficult access to educational and employment opportunities as a result of diminished community social support, which should be the encouraging force in directing their goal achievements. Resiliency, as a strengths-based perspective, gained convincing prominence through the 1970s and 1980s. Initiative, self-control, self-esteem, and attachment are four protective factors of resiliency. Risk and protective factors are vital for intervention practices with individuals, families and communities. This study utilized protective factors that promote the skills and abilities necessary for encouraging resiliency and creating effective citizenship. iii Resiliency and the awareness of citizenship practices may bolster African American male youth successes in educational and employment opportunities. Youth who consistently and routinely engage in employment can increase the well-being of themselves, their families, and their communities. This study utilized a self-administered survey design to obtain responses from rural African Americans male youth, between the ages of 12 and 19 inclusive, to determine their resiliency skills and their awareness of citizenship practices (p=.005, one-tailed). In a pre-post test for significance, participants were asked to take a citizenship practices survey after the viewing of the video. This paired t-test displayed statistically significant results (p= .0015, t= 2.998, df =98). It is important to examine resiliency in rural African American male youth and how that resiliency interacts with the awareness of citizenship practices. There is little known about how rural African American, male youth perceive effective citizenship based on their level of resiliency. African American youth are better served toward successful employment and education through programs that are designed to increase citizenship practices awareness. There is reason to believe that citizenship practices, by way of training and community affirmation, with an infusion of resiliency skill techniques modeling, could open the doors wider for African American male youth who, for some, suffer from poverty, but for most suffer from the lack of free and open educational access which inhibits viable entry level employment opportunities.