Engaging Black Men in College Through Leadership Learning

Edited by:
Cameron C. Beatty, Florida State University
Jesse R. Ford, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

A volume in the series: Contemporary Perspectives on Leadership Learning. Editor(s): Kathy L. Guthrie, Florida State University.

Published 2023

This book encourages leadership educators and practitioners to understand the importance of black male leadership on college campuses in today’s world. As the push to make higher education more culturally relevant and inclusive, the need for these educators to critically engage in their work to create intentional and developmental experiences for their black male leaders is needed now more than ever. The contexts outlined in this book illustrate the need to see Black men's leadership as a critical, dynamic, and ever-evolving component on college campuses that requires intentionality to best develop, serve, and holistically engage Black men in leadership learning.

This book is intended to be a practical and scholarly resource to aid in the awareness of Black men in college, Black men's leadership identities and experiences, and the growing need to assist this population's success in college and beyond. Engaging Black Men In College Through Leadership Learning centers on leadership and Black identity as it tackles the intersecting identities of maleness, Blackness, and leadership identity as it encourages educators to consider the importance of the college environment in shaping the next generation of Black men collegiate leaders. In addition, this scholarship provides insight into Black men's leadership experiences in various contexts - including fraternity life, first-year experiences, and student organizations, while capturing the collective experiences of Black men as leadership learners at different types of institutions, including HBCUs, Community Colleges, PWIs and a host of other institution types.

This resource is for leadership educators and practitioners to develop Black men as leaders on today’s college campuses, where our global society continues to navigate challenges. This book also situates more nuanced topics such as mental health, trans identity, graduate education, and the experiences of former foster care youth, which provides insight into the experiences of Black men as leaders on college campuses. These contexts illustrate the need to see Black men's leadership as a critical, dynamic, and ever-evolving component on college campuses that requires intentionality to best develop, serve, and holistically engage Black men in leadership learning. We encourage readers of this text to consider how black men’s experiences with leadership are woven into the fabric of your college campus and how you can be an advocate for more critical and sustainable ways to engage Black men in college through leadership learning.

CONTENTS
Foreword, Derrick R. Brooms. SECTION I: INTRODUCTION AND THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS. Introduction: A Critical Analysis of Double Consciousness and Leadership Learning for Black Men, Cameron C. Beatty and Jesse R. Ford. Theoretical Considerations for Love, Triumph, and Agency: Black Men Engaging in Leadership Learning, Jesse R. Ford and Brian L. McGowan. Context Matters: Considerations for Engagement in Leadership Learning, Darius A. Robinson and Cameron C. Beatty. SECTION II A: IDENTITY: Black Queer Men, Mentorship and Leadership Learning, and Gender Performance, Quortne R. Hutchings, Reginald A. Blockett. Trans*Race Man: Black Leadership and Quare Failure, Antron D. Mahoney, Xian R. Brooks, and H. Brydie Harris. Leadership Learning Among Black Collegiate Men With Foster Care Experience, Royel M. Johnson and Allante Moon. Black Men With Disabilities Engaging in Leadership Learning, Laventrice S. Ridgeway. How Socioeconomic Status May Affect Black Men in Their Pursuit of Leadership Opportunities On College Campuses, Jarrod P. Rudd. Black Men and Caribbean Student Identity, Trevis Belle and Kayon Johnson. SECTION II B: INNOVATIONS IN RESEARCH & PRACTICE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN LEADERSHIP LEARNING FACING BLACK COLLEGE MEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. Toward a Leadership Development Model for Black Men Enrolled in Community College, Ted N. Ingram, James Coaxum III, and Lavon Williams. We Are Not Okay: Supporting Black Men Student Government Association Presidents at HBCUS, Travis C. Smith and Austin McDonald. Black Men Engaging in Leadership at Historically White Institutions (HWIs), Blayne Stone. Black Kinship as Leadership Learning at a Historically White Small Private Liberal Arts College, Tiyah Western. SECTION II C: INNOVATIONS IN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN LEADERSHIP LEARNING FACING BLACK COLLEGE MEN AND CONTEXT. Exploring the First-Year Experience: Support, Development and Success in a Black Male Initiative, Jarrod E. Druery. Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself: Black Men and Transfer Experiences, Donald Coleman, Jr. and Ricardo Belizaire. “We’re Brother’s”: Building Positive Masculinity in Black Men’s Fraternity Leadership, Johnnie L. Allen, Jr. and Jesse R. Ford. What About Us? Leadership Engagement of Black College Men in STEM, Joshua D. Wallace. Flying High: Black College Men Engaging in Study Abroad, Stephanie Tilley. Black College Men Student-Athletes Engaging in Leadership, Ashton Henderson and Ron Moses. Black Mental Health, Lawrence Jackson. Leadership Beyond the Undergraduate Degree, Jason K. Wallace and Terrance D. Smith. SECTION III: SUPPORTING AND CENTERING BLACK MEN’S LEADERSHIP LEARNING. Curricular Leadership Courses and Assessments Centering Black College Men, Dorsey Spencer, Jr., Jesse R. Ford, and Brandon Bowden. Co-Curricular Leadership Programs and Services Centering Black College Men, Jonathan A. McElderry and Donald D. Gilliam. Elevating His Community: Black College Men and Leadership Learning With the Local Community, Vincent T. Harris and Franklin Soares. Continuing the Conversation: Rethinking and Reimagining Leadership Learning for Black Men, Jesse R. Ford and Cameron C. Beatty. Biographies.