Renaming the Narrative, Reclaiming Their Humanity: Black and Latino Males’ Descriptions of Success

Abstract

Background/Context An ongoing challenge for scholars who examine the educational experiences of young men of color, particularly Black and Latino males, is to illustrate the complex nature of their experiences and to call into question the dichotomous narrative that these students are either successful or unsuccessful. There is a responsibility for scholars to present a balanced, more nuanced analysis and to highlight that, while a significant number of these young men are underperforming compared to their peers from other backgrounds, there are many students who are doing quite well in school. While interrogating the notion of success can be a complex task, one of the concerns in the professional literature has been that the definition is frequently limited to narrow or conventional standards (i.e., high GPA, high test scores, etc.). While these examples of success are indeed important, we maintain that they do not capture the full spectrum of favorable educational and social outcomes of Black and Latino male students both inside and outside of schools. Purpose/Objective This study operates from the standpoint that many Black and Latino males are thriving, yet their stories are rarely told, especially by the young men themselves. The objective of the study is to challenge conventional depictions of Black and Latino males by better understanding how these young men perceive themselves, as well as how they conceptualize success. Thus, the questions that anchored this study include: How do Black and Latino males describe themselves? In what ways do they operationalize the term “success”? And what can researchers, practitioners, and policymakers learn from student perceptions of success? Research Design The study included in-depth qualitative interviews that were conducted in person. The interviews were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed. Transcripts were uploaded to a qualitative data analysis program. Prevalent themes, topics, key terms, and phrases were all identified and ultimately represented recurring patterns and codes within the data. Findings/Results Students defined success in similar ways to how they described themselves. “Hardworking,” “determined,” and “able to work with others” were a few descriptors offered by the participants. Moreover, the young men expressed an inherent belief that success was not relegated to school alone and that it was equally important to make their mark in their respective homes and communities. Establishing financial security, emphasizing self-improvement, helping their families and communities, and just wanting to be happy were other ways in which the participants defined success. Conclusion Allowing students to develop their own definitions of success can serve as an impetus toward a shift away from thinking that success is in how others define the term. Success for these young men was the ability to write their own narrative.

Understanding the Laws of Harvest: Black and Latino Male Collegians Enacting Critical Race Care as Youth Mentors

“…CRC was enacted through BECA as it helped foster opportunities for students to “embark on this journey together rather than separate” and by “offering resources to the young men, African American and Latino brothers here.” The focus on creating change helped sharpen the men’s political clarity. Often, Black and Latino boys and men are established as problems within educational spaces; however, rather than being problems needing to be fixed (Howard et al, 2019; Rios, 2011), BECA created opportunities for the men to establish themselves as change agents. As youth mentors, the men could look at themselves and each other for support and care.…”

“…Scholarship on Black and Latino men’s college experiences also affirms the need for research that views their voices and meaning making as valid, valued, and necessary to effectuate change in higher education (e.g., see Pérez, 2014; Strayhorn, 2008, 2010). As opposed to one-dimensional portrayals of these students or assuming insight about their lives and needs, researchers assert that these students possess critical forms of capital and knowledge that enable them to progress successfully in their educational pathways and rewrite their own narratives (Brooms et al, 2018; Howard et al, 2019; Yosso, 2005). Relatedly, Brooms’s (2020) study of 30 Black and Latino males offered powerful narratives about their college successes.…”

“…In recent years, there has been a proliferation of student engagement programs intended to increase college access, retention, and graduation for Black and Latino males (Baker, 2013; Brooms et al, 2018; Quigley & Mitchell, 2018). However, efforts often are informed by a deficit framing of Black and Latino males who suggests that they are not interested in education (Brooms et al, 2018, 2021; Howard et al, 2019). Such a view is delimited because it continues to peddle a monolithic narrative of these students that hinges on cultural racism and denies them support and educational opportunities.…”

“…Studies that provide space for Black and Latino male students to share their experiential knowledge and make meanings from their own experiences provide critical insights about their lives and interiorities (Brooms, 2020; Brooms et al, 2018; Howard et al, 2019; Pérez, 2014). We build upon previous scholarship by demonstrating that Black and Latino men viewed their communities from an asset-based lens and that community ties are a beneficial form of community engagement.…”

“…This disregard includes them being stereotyped, profiled, hypercriminalized, and having violence perpetuated against them on a routine basis (Brooms, 2018; Rios, 2011). From classrooms to courts to public and private spaces, Black and Latino boys and young men continue to be treated as perpetual problems, threats, and criminals (Howard et al, 2019; Huerta, 2015; Rios, 2011). That Black and Latino males continue to aspire to their possibilities, maintain hope, and be resilient in the face of multiple institutional and societal challenges should be the focus of more educational efforts, collaborations, and research.…”