Augusta State University junior Bradley Brown is getting close to graduating, and he knows the importance of reaching his goal.
"I've always wanted to be successful -- just not giving up has been the main drive for me to achieve my goals," said Mr. Brown, who is one year away from earning a bachelor's degree in management information systems.
Augusta State has fewer than 400 black male students -- a statistic Mr. Brown and others say mirrors a national trend that needs to improve.
"There's such a lack of African-American males graduating from high school and getting in college in general," said Mr. Brown, who already has an associate of arts degree and works in information technology services at Augusta State. "There are so few of us that the more of us that can get through college, the better."
Recently, Augusta State received and matched a $20,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation to help black men earn bachelor's degrees. National and local officials say that among all racial and ethnic groups, black men are retained least often in higher education.
"Overall, the goal is to ensure that significantly more black men graduate from college," said Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe, the founder of the Student African American Brotherhood, which is collaborating with Augusta State on the problem.
Augusta State was among 13 University System of Georgia institutions to receive the grant money. It will be involved in a national pilot research project involving SAAB chapters to analyze psycho-social factors. Officials say the data should help find strategies for better retention and graduation rates of black men.
According to the SAAB, more than two-thirds of all black men nationwide who start college don't finish with a bachelor's degree. In 2008, 377 out of more than 6,600 Augusta State students were black men. That represents 7 percent of the school's undergraduates.
The graduation rate for black men who started college in 2002 and received a degree by 2008 was 13 percent at Augusta State and 15 percent statewide. For all students in the University System of Georgia, the rate for the same time frame was 56 percent.
And from July 2008 to June, Augusta State officials say, one associate, 30 bachelor's and 15 graduate degrees were earned by black men.
Part of the grant money Augusta State is receiving will go toward creating a summer program for black male freshmen, offering an orientation class, life skills, public speaking opportunities and special programs with the students' parents in mind, said Karen Mobley, the director of Augusta State's student development.
At Paine College, officials say they also have been focusing on black male students.
The school is working to increase black men's participation in teacher education, said Paine spokeswoman Natasha Carter.
The University of South Carolina Aiken doesn't break down graduation rates by black males and females, but spokeswoman Jennifer Conner said there was a 28 percent graduation rate for all black students who started in 2002 and graduated by 2008.
Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 828-3851 or preston.sparks@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Although I am not one for scholarships for "any one race only", we must do something about young black males in this counrty. Out of all races/sexes combined, these young men have become more and more violent, have little respect for life and commit more violent crimes than any other group of any race of males or females. We must acknowledge, discuss and look at what can be done and this is a step in the right direction. What really needs to happen is for the black community to step up and stop waiting for the government to take care of all of their needs because that will never happen no matter who our leaders are. Good parenting, strong moral values, high expectations, a good education, etc. are all very much needed to help solve these many problems.
Having more educated African-American males is a honorable goal, but it will not collectively address the issue of institutional discrimination which exist at the core of the nation's fabric. Getting to these young men early is the key, because the "system" is designed to target them early on in the teen years and steer them into a wicked legal system that ultimately ruins their lives. A good education helps and will give young men the tools needed to fight the uphill battle they will encounter after graduating - because that's when the battles really begin. Again, a great approach to a huge problem which can be reduce the college dropout rate and possibly save lives.
I like the goal of trying to graduate as many black American males from college as possible...if qualified. It's much preferable to the loser attitude of "you jus' ackin' white" that defines too much of the group now. However, by separating them by the term "African" and using special racial incentives that further isolate them, aren't we furthering the "institutional discrimination" that justus4 mentions. That problem is with the separated black student as much as it is with those dealing with them. A way needs to be found to promote the furtherance of the general education of the black male while "bringing them into the national fold". As we stand, right now, there are two types of Americans. Those that constitute the great melting pot of the world, who blend together to make the great conglomerated race known as American, and "Afro"-Americans, who feel isolated.
WHY isn't the goal for ALL students to graduate?And the band played on......
Discrimination!
The world needs ditch diggers too.
Dora,are you volunteering to be one?
good point, dora. however, to many of these young men mentioned choose not to dig the ditches. but, rather, car-jack people, hold-up liquor stores, chinese restaurants, and break into honest peoples homes, steal our guns, jewelry, and electronics, and sell them to pawn shops. all the while, pro-creating like monkeys in the jungle, and leaving the offsprings to fend for themselves, again, like monkeys in the jungle.
SMARTIE, we got your monkey part. Does it make you feel better about yourself?We know that the white couple in Burke County were not " Monkeys in the jungle".Man, some of you are seriously deranged.
Smartie-Less is a better title for you. I believe you are MORE AFRAID of the black young men who want an education and get one! Then they can buy their own cars, liquor stores, homes, guns, jewelry and electronics. When they need ditches dug...they will even be smart enough not to hire someone like YOU! EEk! EEk!
Amazingly no one has called Smartie on his comment. I am shocked? Yeah, right. I cannot wait to hear from APEX aka JUSTUS aka IRISH aka WP, aka SMARTIE aka LOLA JEAN.
Hey smartie thanks for hiding behind your screen name with your taught from birth words LOL...
Institutional discrimination? How about institutional bondage. When taught from a young age that irresponsible behavior will be overlooked and that the nanny state will bail you out, why do you suppose young black males get caught the hte system that "targets" them. When you have one parent families and no morals, a government that creates an entitlement mentality, and "community leaders" that shirk the virtues of individual responsibility, morality, and respect, then this is what you get.
We constantly hear about blacks needing this, whites needing that. Honest question: Has anyone heard chinese/korean/vietnamese immigrants complain about their (lack of) opportunities? I know I haven't. Every "boater" I've met has shown a willingness to work crap hours for crap pay in order to save enough to improve their situation. I'm not trying to stereotype and say they're all that way, just those I've encountered. Maybe blacks and whites should take a page from their yellow cousins and earn what they get, rather than wait for a handout.
As a European-American, I find it offensive that there is a black only Grants, Where are the white only grants oh wait in this PC world that would be racisist. Is it only the Blacks that are not making it in this world.
ispy and limbutt, how can any improvement be made when many "Afros" like you intentionally miss the point? It makes people not contributing to the Lumina Foundation (and other groups trying to promote the efforts of black Americans) just say "why bother?".
Where has the idea of personal responsibility gone? Whatever happened to the idea of working hard to EARN what you have without looking to someone to GIVE it to you? I did not come from a rich family at all. I received no grants, scholarships, etc. to pay for college, yet I attended and paid for it myself. I have a job now thanks to years of hard work and WANTING to do better for myself and my children, not because I think I'm being treated unfairly because I didn't have the same opportunities as others. On the other hand, I do think it is a wonderful idea to encourage ANY young person today to stay in school and work hard to become more employable.
actually, rush, i'm happy to see someone educate themselves, and contribute to society. i also find great pleasure in seeing those, or any people, mentor to the ones who can benefit from it. my office is a very diverse work place. we work together, and i believe our diversity makes us strong. i believe the same about our country. i know that people of all races commit heinous crimes. I WON"T MAKE EXCUSES FOR ANYONE!! it appears to me, that inner-city youths are more inclined to take this road. to many people are making excuse for them, when they could be mentoring them. call me what you want, but, i'm secure in who i am.
6:56 is dead on!
Too bad we can't all walk in your privileged shoes, Smartie. You folks all put Justus down everyday for seeing the world through his own perspective. What you don't know is A LOT! Talk about a sense of entitlement! LAUGHABLE!!! Your only answer is that they should follow your example. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes for awhile, instead of being consumed by pettiness. Try to look at history from the perspective of TRUTH. Hah, that'll be the day!
People please. Blacks represent only about 12% of the population. Thus 88% of the population is not black. Black males have a shorter life span than black females. So black males represent less than 6% of the population. Are you good folks really suggesting that less than 6& of the population is ruining it for the rest of us?
willienelson, one of the stats you didn't include, a fair portion of the 6% is in state holding facilities.
I'm sorry Justus4 but you have it wrong again - everyone makes choices in their lives, and some people steer themselves into the "wicked legal system."
Some people, justus for instance, need a convenient excuse for their inability to be successful. Many others, fight through the obvious disadvantages and become successful. BTW, there are people of all colors who are guilty of blaming others for their failures.
cliff, I stand corrected. However, you do realize this would not be the case if we could only get these poor guys a bachelors degree. Right?
There is grant money for all who are willing to dig through the bureaucracy and paper work to initiate it, just look online theres all kinds of grants. This is a patch that really want be sealed until the issue of education is addressed on the primary level and of course in the home and neighborhoods. When young brothers are able to see that education is a safer means to a prosperous life then they'll begin to take advantage of the opportunities. The drug subculture has created a generation of people who feel their best chance for "making it" is by peddling on the corner and "controlling the activity within their on community. After 20 years of this type of majority lifestyle has being seen as "the way life is" it becomes the norm and down the road you have high crime rates, high school dropouts, teen pregnancy, and way to many people institutionalized by the prison and those members of their families that perpetuate the lifestyle. You can argue and debate Justus's hard stance on the overtones of racism all you like, but we all know at the root of the issues in this country is exclusion, not on just along racial lines but more than anything, social economic lines. Good luck!!
willienelson, the degree alone wouldn't be the saving stroke, but it would go a long way toward exposing the ignorant to a world where effort and responsibility can and do make a significant difference in ones life.
Everyone should have a good education, and what most people continue to miss is the fact that you can very easily educate yourself. Once you can read, you are on the right track. But you must read something other than People magazine or the Augusta Chronicle to gather good knowledge!
It's the subsidy mindset that destroys so many, not the learning skills. Buying the black vote has created a subculture that is bad for black Americans and bad for America. Only Dem politicians benefit.
I am not prejudiced, but shouldn't the goal be to help all races of men to graduate. The way I see it, education is available to everyone and the emphasis should not be put on any one classification of race or gender. The discrimination is in the classroom.