Addressing the African American Male 'Crisis' in Higher Education

(African American Male Focus, Part II)
(This is part two of a three part series on African American Males in Higher Education.)


By Reginald James
MANAGING EDITOR

A2MEND, the African American Male Education Network and Development, held its’ first African American Male Summit in March 2008.
The summit identified and quantified ‘the need’ and brainstormed solutions to addressing the ‘crisis.’
Considering the low graduation rates, high homicide rates, the low attendance rate versus the high incarceration rate, A2MEND emphasized the role community colleges need to play in changing these trends.
‘These findings suggest that California Communtiy Colleges need to develop interventions that would appropriately reduce the racial and gender disparities in student sucess, persistence and achievement,” said A2MEND President Dr. Mark Robinson, vice-chancellor of student development at City College of San Frnacisco.
“Community colleges play a significant role in sustaining and increaisng the educational attainment of the American population, particulary for African Americans,” said Robinson. “One in every 14 African Americans who are enrolled in higher education attends a California Community College; moreover, one of eery seven African American community college students in the country is enrolled in California.”
Summit attendees also proposed a number of soultions. •H•