Black Male Initiative strives to raise minority graduation rates

Twenty-seven minority men, diverse in age, ethnicity and background, sat in the Nyumburu Cultural Center breaking a statistical trend. Unlike many of their peers, they have graduated - or are on the path to graduate - from college.

Nationwide, college retention and graduation rates in the black community are significantly lower than those of whites, and the problem is worse among males.

The meeting at the cultural center was a result of those unfortunate trends. In 2005, the university started the Black Male Initiative in attempt to reverse this pattern.

In 2004, 67 percent of white students at the university graduated in four years, while only 43 percent of black students graduated in that amount of time, according to university statistics. Similarly, almost twice as many black women as black men graduated in four years. About 2,000 black women enrolled as full-time students in this year's freshman class, compared to slightly less than 1,300 black men.

These statistics have been consistent throughout the years, but the Black Male Initiative is trying to paint a different picture for the future.

The initiative was started with the goal of "the establishment of brotherhood, scholarship and retention of black men at the university."

"Who will be leaders?" Assistant Director of Student Involvement & Public Relations of Nyumburu Solomon Comissiong asked. "We can all be Barack Obama ... Our walls are not limited in any shape, form or fashion."

While graduation rates for black men is a constant issue, the group also talked about other conflicts facing the black community. One major concern was the nation's economy and how its instability affects black men. Another student was concerned about mainstream stereotypes associated with black men.

"A lot of these young men work," Associate Provost for Equity and Diversity Cordell Black said. "They work because they have to, and so do women, but women, it seems, are a lot better at juggling all of their responsibilities. If [male students] are having trouble, you can see it in their performance."

Black said by providing black male students with structure and a forum from which they can receive the help and guidance they need, he hopes those students involved will do well and begin to close this achievement gap.

Besides on-campus programs like study halls, the initiative is taking strides to reach out to black males outside the university by sponsoring mentoring programs with Greenbelt Elementary School, among others. At last night's meeting, two participants were from local public schools in Prince George's county.

The program at Greenbelt, for example, aims at establishing a sense of community when students are young, in hopes of closing the education gap early on. Only 53 percent of blacks in the U.S. graduate from high school, compared to 77 percent of white Americans and 80 percent of Asian Americans, according to a 2007 report done by the Alliance for Excellent Education.

Letters and sciences advisor Brent Hernandez pointed out attendance at these programs has suffered in the past. He stressed the importance of involvement in study halls and other resources provided.

"We started because we also wanted to improve the scholarships," Comissiong added. "We're nothing if we don't graduate."

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