For Black men attending college, there are often a host of barriers inhibiting their success. In addition to academic challenges, some Black men report higher feelings of alienation, isolation and cultural incongruence than their White peers. For many, these challenges are so tempestuous that they often leave the academy without earning a degree. In efforts to increase the academic and social success of students, universities have implemented Black male initiatives to decrease the early withdraw of men of color. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact of Black male initiatives on the academic success and likelihood of persistence of self-identified Black men attending fourteen schools within the Southeastern Conference (SEC). This study analyzed the survey responses of 124 online survey participants. Questions were related to the demographic characteristics, Using various quantitative methods including multiple regression, the study found that the perceived likelihood of persistence is significantly correlated to BMI participation, perceptions of University Environment and Cultural Congruity. However, the results do not confirm a statistically significant relationship between any of the independent variables and academic success (as measured by GPA), as some studies have found. The findings suggest that future studies be conducted to better understand what factors help mediate the academic success of Black male initiative participants It is also recommended that a qualitative analysis be conducted to gain a more robust look into the experiences of Black men participating in affinity based organizations. Higher education administrators responsible for implementing BMI programs are advised to implement programs which emphasize not only social and cultural awareness but academic support.

Environmental constraints can limit a population to a certain size, which is usually called the carrying capacity of a habitat. Besides to this 'external' factor, which is mainly determined by the limitation of resources, we investigate here another set of population-intrinsic factors that can limit a population size significantly below the maximum sustainable size. Firstly, density-independent mortality is a prominent factor in all organisms that show age-related and/or accidental death. Secondly, in sexually reproducing organisms the sex ratio and the success of pairing is important for finding reproductive partners. Using a simple model, we demonstrate how sex ratio, mating success and gender-specific mortality can strongly affect the speed of population growth and the maximum population size. In addition, we demonstrate that density-independent mortality, which is often neglected in population models, adds a very important feature to the system: it strongly enhances the negative influence of unbiased sex ratios and inefficient pairing to the maximum sustainable population size. A decrease of the maximum population size significantly affects a population's survival chance in inter-specific competition. Thus, we conclude that the inclusion of density-independent mortality is crucial, especially for models of species that reproduce sexually. We show that density-independent mortality, together with biased sex ratios, can significantly lower the abilities of a population to survive in conditions of strong inter-specific competition and due to the Allee effect. We emphasize that population models should incorporate the sex ratio, male success and density-independent mortality to make plausible predictions of the population dynamics in a gender-structured population. We show that the population size is limited by these intrinsic factors. This is of high ecological significance, because it means that there will always be resources available in any habitat that allows other species (e.g., invaders) to use these resources and settle successfully, if they are sufficiently adapted.

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences concerning motivation to persist to graduation among degree-seeking academically successful African American males, ages 18-25, attending community colleges in Mississippi. This study was conducted with 10 African American male academically successful college students (average age of 19 years) attending community college in Mississippi. All participants were interviewed, with the Stevick-Colaizzi-Keen approach used as the thematic analysis. Initial thematic coding revealed 60 statements/codes, which were merged into 6 themes. Based on thematic findings, students were motivated to persist to graduation by having: (a) a strong sense of identity, inclusive of an academic and racial identity; (b) role models and mentors in the community, family, and university; (c) social support from others, inclusive of academic leaders and faculty as well as family and friends; (d) participation in university organizations (e.g., student government, band, athletics) and the campus community; (e) the development of academic skills, ranging from study and time management skills to learning from others to taking in-person classes; and (f) having a mindset to succeed, which included aspects of overcoming failure, becoming responsible, being self-driven, and having future academic and career goals. Findings can be used to inform the development and implementation of culturally congruent college persistence programming and initiatives for African American male community college students. The implementation of such academic initiatives may, in the long run, have positive economic benefits for the state of Mississippi.