When Malik Robinson graduated from high school, the decision to attend college was an easy one. “The knowledge of self that you get from an HBCU [historically Black college or university] in terms of being Black is incomparable to other institutions,” he told The Root. Now a senior at Alabama A&M University, Robinson said he has no regrets...but he’s an anomaly.
In fact, when he graduates, Robinson will be the first man in his family with a Bachelor’s degree, and unfortunately, his story is more common than we realize. Black men attend college at a shockingly low rate compared to any other demographic. And according to Calvin Hadley, an assistant provost for academic partnerships and student engagement at Howard University and 2008 Howard grad, low Black male enrollment is not just an HBCU issue.
Hadley told Juana Summers from NPR that while 25 percent of Howard’s student population is male, “recent statistics said around 19% Black male” attend the university. This percentage is the same as non-Black students attending the institution known as “the Black Mecca.”
American writer Touré shared news of the this shocking statistic on TikTok, and the responses from were shocking. “As a high school counselor I see this first hand,” @thicc_daddy_68 wrote. “They have become so disconnected from school despite all the interventions we try. Unfortunately so many of them think they’ll make it as pro athletes & musicians.” According to a study by Gallup, the main reasons why Black students drop out of school boils down to emotional stress, mental health, and the cost of higher learning.
@the_professionalsmartass responded to Touré’s video, saying, “I think multiple things are happening here. Debt is one but also hustle culture created this narrative that college isn’t needed to become successful. Internet is filled with get rich schemes.” The average cost to attend a private college or university in the U.S. is around $43,000, according to U.S. News and World Report.
Another user, @actuallyjustashlee, noted how a lack of education also impacts dating within our community. “It’s also effecting relationships in the black community because education is a sticking point in dating,” she said. Black women continue to dominate college enrollment, especially at HBCUs, but this begs the question: what about our Black men who are historically more likely to be left behind academically?
Black males graduate at a lower rate than Black females, according to Ed Trust, and that’s across the board. Hadley made clear that “this is not a Howard problem. This is not an HBCU problem. This is not a PWI problem,” he said. “This is an American education problem.”
Without Black men on college campuses, Hadley noted their growing absence is “felt on campus...in our social clubs.... [and] on the yard. And I think many of our male students have commented that in some of their classes, they’re the only male in their class.” Devonte Usher, a former Howard student, said in his own experience, being in classes surrounded by women left him feeling “like I was the odd one out.” He continued saying “I felt like I was going to be called out more... because the demographic was not on my side in terms of sex.”
There are many reasons why Black men in particular aren’t getting their degrees. But as the New York Times reported, a large reason is a lack of family and community support. “We see a lot of school programs and districts that are giving up on students and giving up on Black men before they even give them a chance,” said Howard’s student president, Skylar Wilson. “They expect them to be bad,” she continued. “They expect them to be problems.”