Am I My Brother's Keeper?: The Importance of Black Male Kinship at a PWI

Am I My Brother's Keeper?: The Importance of Black Male Kinship at a PWI

Arian L. Bryant (University of Central Florida, USA) and Larry J. Walker (University of Central Florida, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-6049-8.ch004
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Abstract

In May of 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, the nation was forced to confront the disparate treatment of Black men by law enforcement. Floyd's murder led to protests that occurred in neighborhoods and college campuses throughout the nation. The response at post-secondary institutions reflected the anger from George Floyd's murder and the experiences of Black students on campus. Far too often, they have to navigate stereotypes and misconceptions from faculty and students. For this reason, this chapter will (1) examine extant literature focusing on the challenges Black male college students encounter inside and outside of the classroom, (2) utilize autoethnographic vignettes to discuss the importance of kinship from the perspective of a Black male doctoral student and faculty member, and (3) provide implications for practice.
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Introduction

Recent statistics suggest that the percentage of Black students pursuing a post-secondary education has declined during the pandemic (Goldberg, 2021). The shift highlights the challenges Black students, specifically males, face in today’s society. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the Black community has been disproportionately affected including higher mortality, food, housing insecurity rates, and financial hardships (Harper, 2020). Moreover, members of the Black community were more likely to reenter the hospital after contracting COVID in comparison to Whites (Henry Akintobi et al., 2020). These sobering statistics among other factors impacted the percentage of Black males that pursued a college degree. For this reason, it is critical that administrators, faculty, and university staff examine the unique barriers Black male doctoral students have to overcome. While much of the research on Black male college students focuses on undergraduate students, additional research on graduate students at PWIs is equally important.

Black males must overcome stereotypes and misconceptions that impact their ability to succeed in graduate school. Regrettably, they have to transverse barriers without the support of Black males with similar lived experiences. Research suggests that Black male college students with quality mentors are more likely to succeed (Goings, 2021). Thus, this chapter seeks to explore the concept of Kinship between a Black male doctoral student and Black male faculty member. Rarely are Black males given a platform to discuss how racial bonds play a vital role in their success.

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