Moving Past Dissenting Voices: The Experience of Resilience in African-American Male College Graduates

This study examined factors that fostered academic resiliency in African-American male college graduates through a critical race theoretical lens. Critical race theory explores the roles that race and class play in the experiences of those on the margin. This qualitative study consisted of two in-depth-interviews with African American male college graduates under the age of 30, and examined their entire educational experiences in the K-12 setting and in college. A constant comparison analysis of the results showed that a variety of factors influenced resiliency in the participants. The factors participants noted as influencing their school disengagement included perceived segregation of student population, microaggressions, internalized racism, implicit racial bias, abuse of zero tolerance policies, and inadequate assistance with the college application process. The factors the participants viewed as having promoted engagement in school included participation in extracurricular opportunities, expressed parental support, strong models of educational attainment, high expectations, and positive male role models