‘Make sure we don’t lose who we are’: young Black men navigating the college choice process at majority-Black high schools

Abstract

Based on a case study of two majority-Black public high schools in a highly segregated American school district, the article employs a critical intersectional framework to examine the experiences of ten college-aspiring young Black men as they navigate the college choice process. Findings indicate that working-class Black male students are less likely to have access to college-going resources and social networks than their middle-class peers. However, a wellresourced school that affirms Black identity may increase agency and help crystallize college plans among working-class Black male students. In contrast, the study found that more institutional academic structures constrain agency and channel working-class Black male students towards under-resourced colleges where they are less likely to thrive.

The Postsecondary Future Selves of Black and Latinx Boys: A Case for Cultivating More Expansive Supports in College-Going Schools

“…Myopic college-going cultures, which ignore other possible ventures that drive Black and Latinx adolescent mindsets, may discount larger realities facing youth as they conceptualize future lives. For instance, racially and economically marginalized students strategically weigh college against familial and neighborhood factors, career interests, and other life goals (Carey, 2019, 2021; Huerta et al, 2018; Rosario-Moore & Colar, 2022; Savitz-Romer & Bouffard, 2012; Vega et al, 2016). However, for the most precise interventions, more insights are needed about how they conceptualize their futures and their school’s role in facilitating this process.…”