S.A.A.B. Student African American Brotherhood

1
African American and Latino Males Imagine and
Explore Their Future n AACC 2006, Long
Beach, CA April 24, 2006
2
ABOUT THE FOUNDER

• Native of Mississippi
• Single Parent for the past 7 years
• Past Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs,
  North Carolina Central University
• Past Vice President for Enrollment and Student
  Services, North Carolina Wesleyan College
• Past Vice President for Student Life, University
  of Toledo
• Past, Special Assistant, University of Toledo
• Current Executive Director of the SAAB National
  Headquarters housed at the University of Toledo
• Aspirations to become a College President or
  Chancellor
• Merchant of Hope

3
S.A.A.B.Student African American Brotherhood

• Started in 1990 at Georgia Southwestern State
  University by Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe to address
  academic challenges of AA males.
• National Headquarters housed at the University of
  Toledo
• More than 100 collegiate chapters to date
  primarily at PWIs
• 12 national pilot chapters on the high school and
  community college levels in the states of
  California, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan,
  Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Texas. Primarily
  funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education
  headquartered in Indianapolis.
• Community Colleges (4)
• High Schools (8)
• Designed to Empower and Retain African American
  Males
• Designed to bring African American Males (Latino
  Males) together regardless of background,
  socieo-economic status, religion, affiliations
  (i.e., Greeks, non-Greeks, Athletes)
• 3-Prong Mentoring Transactions
• Collegiate to Collegiate High school to High
  School
• Collegiate/High School, middle elementary
  schools
• Faculty/Staff-to-Student

4
SAVING LIVES.

• SALVAGING DREAMS

5
SAABS MISSION

• Develop and maintain AA/Latino male leadership,
  discipline and accountability.
• Transforming them into Scholars Leaders
• Create strategies and tools for renewal, revival
  and resurrection for a population often written
  off as LOST.
• Graduate our participants
• Create Merchants of Hope

6
S.A.A.B.PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

• To enhance the experiences and ENGAGE Black and
  Latino males in colleges and universities around
  the country---and retain and graduate them in
  college along with enhancing the future
  aspirations (i.e., college) of younger men of
  color (K-12)

7
The SAAB Perspective

• According to the literature, males are
  biologically, developmentally and psychologically
  different than females. Therefore, we seek to
  bring out the best in our participants by
  emulating and modeling appropriate behaviors that
  allows them to realize their fullest potential.

8
SAABs PROGRAM GOALS

• Promote and embrace independence and personal
  responsibility
• Promote career exploration with a 5 Year Plan and
  promoting entrepreneurship
• Increase self-esteem

• Connect and engage within the community through
  active service
• Participate in results-oriented initiatives to
  increase retention and graduation rates

9
The S.A.A.B. EXPERIENCE Creates
Culture??Shapes Values ??Forms
Beliefs??Transforms Behaviors
10
(No Transcript)
11
S.A.A.B. Institute 2006
Saving Our African American Males... Empowering
our Fathers, Sons, and Community

• Register

• Hotel Info

• Pre-Conference
• Workshop

• Call for Programs

• Schedules

Western Region Student Leadership Institute

• Exhibits

• Highlights

October 19-21, 2006 San Diego State University
S.A.A.B. Organization
12
S.A.A.B.Mission Statement

• In order to empower ourselves and promote
  brotherhood,
• We the brothers of the Student African American
  Brotherhood, embrace the principles of
  accountability, proactive leadership,
  self-discipline, and intellectual development.
• Through our beliefs and convictions, we uphold
  this mission at all times.

13
SAAB MOTTOI AM MY BROTHERS KEEPER AND
TOGETHER WE WILL RISE
14
MEN OF COLOR ARE FALLING BEHIND
15
MEN OF COLOR FALL BEHIND

• African American and Latino boys are falling
  behind in almost every measure compared to other
  ethnic groups.
• Men or Color are twice as likely to be diagnosed
  with a learning disability and twice as likely to
  be place in special education classes.
• The number of African American boys who said they
  hated school rose 71 between 1980 and 2001.

16
BLACK MEN FALL BEHIND(USA TODAY, 2-17-05)

• High School Completion
• During the past decade the graduation rate for AA
  males slipped. African American females graduated
  56 from high school compared to 41 AA males.
• College Enrollment
• Twice as many Black women as Black men now attend
  college
• College Degrees
• AA males degree completion only increased by 3
  from 2001-2004
• Whats Happening?
• In appropriate role models
• Broken Homes
• Bad school experiences
• Low economic-related factors

17
Graduation Rates for African American Boys

• Chicago - 39
• (Univ. of Chicago Consortium 2/2005)
• Indianapolis - 25
• (Indianapolis Star 5/2005)
• Los Angeles - 45
• (R. Smith American School Board Journal,
  9/2005)
• Ohio - 39.6
• (Harvards Civil Rights Project, et. al. (3/2004)
• Nevada - 40.5
• (Harvards Civil Rights Project, et. al.
  3/2004)
• Florida - 41.0
• (Harvards Civil Rights Project, et. al. 3/2004)

18
Dramatic and urgent action is desperately needed
to address the abysmally low high school
graduation rates of boys of color, particularly
African American and Latino boys. The development
of a national strategy is CRITICAL!
19
(No Transcript)
20
Making a Difference in Lives of African American
College Men Providing success at the community
college level

• Presented at the
• American College Personnel Association
• Annual Meeting, March 19-22, 2006
• Indianapolis, IN

21
The Issue

• Success rates of African American (AA) males in
  America is a concern
• Number of AA men not completing high school
• Number of AA men incarcerated
• Number of AA men who do not go on to college
• Number of AA men who go on to post-secondary is
  decreasing

22
The Implications

• A more competitive, global job market
• Shift from an industrial to service, information,
  technology-based economy
• More education required
• Low levels of education, more burden on society
• Higher crime rates
• Higher poverty levels
• Lower earnings
• Lower levels of health
• Higher imprisonment, etc.

23
The Solution

• Education as the Great Equalizer
• Increased earnings
• Movement in terms of SES
• Job opportunities
• Future learning in post-secondary education
• Get more AA men through HS and into college
• HS grads has increased since 1970s (59 to 85)
• High intentions of going to college but fail
• Find the gap and fill it!!!

24
The Role of Community Colleges

• One mission of the community college transfer
  function
• Open-door admission policy
• High level of service to minority populations)
  41.2 of AA, 50 Am. Indian, 56 Hispanic)
• Low cost of attendance (almost 1/3 of 4-year
  institutions)

25
The Role of CCs contd

• Economic benefit
• 65 of jobs in US in 2000 required HS diploma or
  higher
• Earnings for those with A.A. degree -- 26K vs.
  22K with a HS diploma in 1997 (the gap continues
  to widen yearly)
• Stepping stone to the BA/BS degree
• Success high for those with AA in terms of
  achievement of BA/BS

26
Diminishing Transfer Function of the Community
College

• More emphasis on remediation (reports indicate
  anywhere from 60-90 need it)
• The open door policy becoming a revolving door
  policy (high drop-outs for minorities)
• The Cooling out effect for minorities (Clark,
  1960, 1994)---the process of marginal students
  enrolling with the intention to transfer to
  four-year colleges
• Loss of credits upon transfer transfer shock

27
African American Males in the Community College
contd

• AA males achieve less degrees at the masters,
  doctoral, and professional levels than other pop.
• Other factors that have contributed to more AA
  males in the CC system
• More AA male student athletes at CC level since
  1983 because of Prop 48 (NCAA)
• Anti-affirmative action legislation
• Both of these are significant because the CC
  serves as the entry portal for many AA men

28
Retention Strategies

• Academic and social integration
• Eliminate racism and promote diversity
• Enhance counseling
• Provide effective orientation programming
• Evaluate program effectiveness
• Hire more AA administrators, faculty, staff
• Create ethnic, cultural, and social support
  groups
• Create programs that connect AA males with
  communities

29
Transfer Success Strategies

• Improve external articulation agreements
• Improve internal articulation agreements
• Create transfer centers and hire transfer
  counselors
• Connect AA males with mentors at 4-year
  institutions

30
LETS HAVE A DIALOGUE

• Shalamon Duke
• Dean, Student Services-Equity
• Los Angeles City College (LACC)
• Dondrick Bursey
• Student, LACC

31
S.A.A.B. Student African American
Brotherhood

• VISIT THE S.A.A.B. WEBSITE AT
• WWW.2CUSAAB.ORG
• THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!