Kendric Goudy, Black Enrollment

Overview:

On April 4th 2025, the New York Times released an article documenting the alarming decrease in the enrollment rates of African American men to universities/colleges. This report caught major attention, leading both African American men and women to take to social media to give their opinions and reasoning on why this trend is occurring. Is it due to a lack of resources? Minimal representation in the educational field? What about continued systemic oppression? While there are many factors one could point to, there's been an overall theme throughout American history to limit the educational advancement of Black men and boys.

Background:

Since being abducted and forcefully brought to the United States, Black people have been excluded from accessing the same forms/methods of education that White people have been afforded. Starting in the 16th century where it was illegal for slaves to read, write, and communicate with each other without the consent of their slave master; the three components of reading, writing, and oral communication all serve as the fundamental basis of learning. Three centuries later, HBCUs and other black institutions for learning would begin to rise, but these establishments would still face extreme obstacles such as a lack of funding, lack of resources, awful infrastructure, and violence/destruction from the white majority. After centuries of continuous discrimination and systemic isolation, the monumental 1954 Supreme Court ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case made it unconstitutional for public schools to be segregated. While outright separation is no longer legal, there have been other means used to ensure that minorities are still not afforded the same level of education as the majority. Systemic barriers such as redlining, lack of representation, over-policing, etc, are tactics that still plague society and cause a distinction in the received education amongst demographics.

Statistics:

According to a recent study done by the “American Institute for Boys and Men,” Black male enrollment at HBCUs has dropped 25% since 1976 (more than double the national average for male students). Furthermore, the enrollment rate of Black men across all national colleges and universities has seen a decrease of 22% from 2010 to 2022. While the point cannot be dismissed that there has been a 5% decrease in enrollment from men across all demographics, the percentage amongst African American men in particular is dropping at a rate quicker than any other group. In contrast to this decades-long trend, Black women today make up 20% of all female students in colleges and universities, and have become the fastest growing demographic in college enrollment according to Worldmetrics.org. Additionally, approximately 74.6% of Black women that enroll in college complete their degree within six years. Only 34% of Black men complete their degrees within that same timeframe. These differing numbers have led many to question why one sex’s trajectory in education is one of the most promising, while the other is one of the most concerning.

Upbringing:

It’s not a secret that education is not the most stressed thing to Black boys during childhood. Oftentimes, sports takes precedence over many things in a young male’s life. From basketball, football, baseball, soccer etc., boys are more likely to be pushed into sports at an earlier age than girls due to societal norms and gender stereotypes. A study conducted by Leeds Beckett University showed that boys engaged in organized sports four times the amount that girls do. Although athletics does encourage physical health, many kids struggle balancing school and education; hence why it is common practice for sports coaches to continuously preach about being a student-athlete (with emphasis on the students part being first). It is also common practice for coaches to check their player’s report cards to stay informed on their academic standing. 

Representation:

As of 2021, Black men made up only 1.3% of the country’s public school teachers. This being a major decline from 2018, where that percentage was 6.5%. African American men are severely underrepresented in the field of education, which ultimately makes it a struggle for black boys to fully envision/engage themselves in that same area. More times than not, boys of color see their representation in sports, music, and/or other forms of entertainment. Leading to the illusion that there are outlets other than education that are more important to strive for. Another negative regarding the underrepresentation of Black men in education is that black boys are not normally handled by adults with similar experiences to them. A similar scenario would be like a young girl in school dealing with her monthly cycle for the first time; that girl may not be as comfortable talking to a male teacher about that topic like she would a female teacher.Black boys go through the issues every adolescent deals with in childhood, however, they are the least likely to encounter an adult in the school environment that can help resolve those issues.

Solutions:

What are some solutions that may reverse this current trend? Krystal Martin, Regional Director for the Southern Chapter of NABA (National Black Accountants Association) discussed what she’s doing to make a change.

Conclusion:

African Americans have been the constant target of mistreatment throughout centuries of this country. With one of those harmful tactics being the limit to an education similar to other races. However, even with these obstacles, there is a stark difference in the path Black women are setting in education compared to Black men. The continued decline in enrollment rates for Black men is a topic that should be and is a major cause of concern in the community. But, higher education should not just be stressed, the foundation of learning in general is something that should be mandatory for people of color at an early age.

 

Email me at kdg358@msstate.edu with any questions