African American Male Students: Exercising Power and Responsibility to Shape their Education n ACPA-NASPA JOINT CONVENT

1. African American Male Students: Exercising Power and Responsibility to Shape their Education n ACPA-NASPA JOINT CONVENTION 2007 April 2, 2007

2. Native of Mississippi (MLK, Teal) Single Parent for the past 9 years Past, Assistant to the Vice President of Student Affairs at Morehouse College 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 to the President, University of Toledo Aspirations to become a College President/Chancellor Merchant of Hope/Social Innovator ABOUT ME

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 140 collegiate and 10 high school chapters to date primarily at PWI’s • Designed to Empower Black and Latino males--- enabling them to become positive catalysts for societal change • Designed to bring African American Males (Latino Males) together regardless of background, socieo-economic status, religion, affiliations (i.e., Greeks, non-Greeks, Athletes) • SAAB IS NOT A FRATERNITY----IT’S A BROTHERHOOD! • No Stepping • No Parties • No Secrets • 3-Prong Mentoring Transactions • Collegiate to Collegiate & High school to High School • Collegiate/High School, middle & elementary schools • Faculty/Staff-to-Student

4. BLACK BOYS ARE FALLING BEHIND

5. BLACK BOYS FALL BEHIND • African American boys are falling behind in almost every measure compared to other ethnic groups. • African American boys are twice as likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability and twice as likely to be place in special education classes. • African American boys have the worst grades, the lowest test scores, and the highest dropout rates of all students in the country. • The number of African American boys who said they hated school rose 71% between 1980 and 2001. (Kunjufu, 2003)

6. HS Graduation Rates for African American Boys2005 & 2006 Cohort • Los Angeles - 45% • (R. Smith; American School Board Journal, {9/2005}) • Ohio - 39.6% • (Harvard’s Civil Rights Project, et. al. (3/2005) • Chicago - 35% • (Schott Foundation, 2006 Report Card) • Florida – 31% • (Schott Foundation, 2005 Report Card) • New York – 26% • (Schott Foundation, 2006 Report Card) • Indianapolis - 25% • (Indianapolis Star 5/2005)

7. Only a few African American boys who finish high school actually attend college… And of those few African American boys who enter college, nationally, only 22% of them finish college (Chattanoogan.com, 3-27-07)

8. Has America Lost A Generation of African American Males? Is this the first time in American History That A Generation Will Not Exceed Their Parents— Educationally?

9. THE GOAL IS… TOGRADUATE!

10. SAVING LIVES…. SALVAGING DREAMS

11. To Save Lives.. And Salvage Dreams There must be a CONSISTENT POSITIVE FORCE

12. To Save Lives.. And Salvage Dreams There must be a CONSISTENT POSITIVE FORCE(CPF)

13. SAAB’S MISSION • Promote the value of education and success • Men of Power, Prominence and Progress • Develop and maintain Black and Latino male leadership, discipline and accountability. • Create strategies and tools for renewal, revival and resurrection for a population often written off as “LOST”. • Graduate our participants • Create “Merchants of Hope” • Create a “Spirit to Care” • We focus on the FLIGHT… not the PLIGHT of men of color

14. The S.A.A.B. EXPERIENCECreates Culture↓↓Shapes Values ↓↓Forms Beliefs↓↓Transforms Behaviors

16. SAAB LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

17. SAAB OFFICERS • President • Vice President • Recording Secretary

18. WORKING COMMITTEESPart 1 • ACADEMIC • Provide academic support and services to members to include study skill sessions, test taking seminars, time management strategies, note taking strategies, reading comprehension strategies, writing workshops. • PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT • Provide educational and developmental opportunities to members to include, resume building, public speaking, 5-year personal development plan (PDP). • SERVICE LEARNING • Provide opportunities for members to engage and contribute to their campus and greater community.

19. WORKING COMMITTEESPart 2 • SPIRITIUAL & SOCIAL • Provide opportunities for bonding, fellowship and collaboration within and outside the group by planning regularly social and spiritual events for the entire group. • FINANCIAL AFFAIRS • Provide financial management and consumer information to members along with assisting the organization in generating revenue. Financial literacy, budgeting, investing opportunities, credit card counseling are some of the topics introduced to the group. • MEMBERSHIP/PUBLIC RELATIONS • Develops and implements a recruitment and retention plan that allows for a robust membership and image for the group along with intentionally “Connecting” the members internally and externally.

20. SAAB SYSTEMIC IMPACT MODEL Renew, Lift up, Comfort, Enhance and Inspire both themselves and those with whom they interact." >>

21. SAAB IMPACTS • SAAB provides thousands of young African American and Latino male leaders who are trained to provide “Care” to a community that has been marginalized, abused and written of in many cases----That’s what SAAB is all about • We strive to provide leaders to institutions, a community, society and nation that are starvingfor leadership from men or color.

22. SAAB IMPACTS Everyone in SAAB may not be deemed a leader in the traditional sense, however, we have created a system that ensures that all SAAB leaders will know what it means to “care” for one’s self and others along with being a positive and consistent contributor to our nation and beyond-in other words- EVERYONEcan be a leader behaviorally!

23. The SAAB Perspective We recognize that men of color find it difficult to express themselves by saying the following: I Need Help I Am Sorry I Need Love We recognize that men of color will search for and/or create and “Alternate Family” to compensate for the “disconnects” in their immediate biological families.

24. WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE POWER OF GANGS- AN ALTERNATE FAMILY • Gangs provide a code of behavior, a value system, direction, and advice that may be missing in the home. • Gang involvement also provides excitement-and probably drugs and alcohol. (Research suggests that much of the group connection is based on status, protection, membership, guaranteed friends, activities, structure, mentors, excitement, leadership opportunities, outlets for frustration, and power. • Teens are further attracted to gang leaders because they appear to be powerful and in control. • However, once they are full-fledged members, they can lose themselves and their moral direction in the process of belonging to and sustaining the gang. • Gangs in many cases replace the support, relationships, affiliations, protection, and care that are missing in the immediate family.

25. How does SAAB Achieve success versus programs that do not work? Promote and embrace independence and personal responsibility Promote career exploration with a5 Year Plan and promoting entrepreneurship Increase students’ self-esteem and assist them in developing a sense of purpose and self-identity Require each start-up chapter to complete a 3-month planning module

26. How does SAAB Achieve success versus programs that do not work? Require each chapter to have a STRATEGIC PLANgiven many colleges and universities are lookingfor a strategic initiatives designed to improve the status of men of color in higher education Connect and engage within the community through active service Students in SAAB participate in results-oriented initiatives to increase theirPersistence and Graduation rates

27. S.A.A.B. Conference 2007-08 Saving Our African American Males... Brother to Brother: Shaping our Future • Register • Hotel Info • Pre-Conference • Workshop • Call forPrograms • Schedules 5 Regional Conferences University of Kansas (Oct. 25-27, 2007) San Diego State University (Oct. 5-6, 2007) University of Texas (Nov. 2007) Chicago-Tinley Park (April 11-12, 2007) Newark-New York (TBA) • Exhibits • Highlights S.A.A.B. Organization

28. DR. MICHAEL CUYJETAssociate Dean of the Graduate School &Associate ProfessorDept. of Educational & Counseling PsychologyUniversity of Louisville

30. SAAB Focus Group Research At the 2004 SAAB Institute, several focus groups of current SAAB members were asked to respond to three open-ended statements: • What attracted me to SAAB was/is … • What I get from SAAB that I cannot get elsewhere on campus is … • The most important element of the SAAB organization for me is …

31. SAAB Focus Group Research The most common thematic responses were: • Brotherhood and camaraderie “unity” “uplifting” “not like fraternities” • Providing a place for Black men to come together “venting” “home away from home” • SAAB’s contribution to the community “something positive” “reaching out”

32. SAAB Focus Group Research Additional themes mentioned: • Mentoring, role models, advisors • Spirituality • Academic support • Leadership

33. SAAB Focus Group Research At the 2006 SAAB Institute, a focus group of senior SAAB members and alumni were asked to respond to four questions: • What aspects of campus life have had the greatest positive impact on completion of your college degree? • What aspects of campus life have served as obstacles during your college matriculation? • From where do (or did) you draw your strength to succeed in college? • What experiences – positive or negative – outside the classroom had the most impact on your college experiences?

34. SAAB Focus Group Research The most predominant theme was the access to mentors and role models • Roles of mentors is to help students test ideas and themes and • Mentor shares experiences; someone to really look up to • Mentors are not always African-American “Look at people who want to help regardless of their race and receive help wherever you can find it”; “Could be a white guy”; mentor should be genuine; “a local businessman” • Develop a model of new expectations [not “same programs and same problems”]

35. SAAB Focus Group Research The importance of support from family and friends (on-campus peers) • ‘It’s about what’s going on in the home” • Camaraderie; peer support; “people with the same interests need to bond together” • associate with winners • “[get strength] from our women – they believe in you” • [strength] “from other leaders like ourselves”

36. SAAB Focus Group Research Achieving a sense of community on the campus • Support of groups like SAAB [“SAAB prepared me to think critically about problems”] • Finding support within the campus Black community • “Seeking people like me” (athletes) • “part of a singing group” • “assimilating” to the campus dominant culture • Build relationships [“administrators know who I am”]

37. SAAB Focus Group Research Overcoming negative influences • hip hop culture: “They stress bling-bling, the fast life; the hip-hoppers bring the drug-pushing mentality into the music” “they do what sells records – underlying mental enslavement” “you repeat what you hear; you play out what you hear and see, such as on BET” “Guys live out what they see on the idiot box” • divisions among Black students on campus: “lack of communication” “confrontation at every event” • over-involvement of a few students – let some folks go, if they are not helping you

38. SAAB Focus Group Research Giving back • groom successors • help other people think for themselves – “break the cycle” • “go talk to freshmen” • “lift others up as you go” “be sure to reach back to help others Coming to campus with the “seed” of success Importance of faith: “when we took spirituality out of our lives, we began to fall”

39. SAAB Focus Group Research Summary Analysis • Current underclassmen recognize the importance of brotherhood, camaraderie, peer support, and making a contribution • Seniors and alumni recognize the importance of mentoring (whether they had it or not) and of connectedness to the campus, their family, and peers • Themes common to both groups: Peer support, mentoring, reaching out to others, spirituality

40. DR. KEVIN ROMEVice President for Student Services Morehouse College

41. S.A.A.B.Student African American BrotherhoodThe Effectiveness of Black Men’s Support Groups: A Research Report • Does participation in a campus organization focused on African American men enhance identity development? • Are there any perceivable differences in identity development between participants in campus organizations focused on African American men and non-participants? • Are there any perceivable differences in environment comfort between participants in campus organizations focused on African American men and non-participants?

42. S.A.A.B.Student African American BrotherhoodResearch Questions • Does S.A.A.B. have a positive effect on the retention of African American males on predominately White college campuses? • What affects the persistence of African American male college students on predominately white college campuses? • What are important factors of mentoring to African American male college students on predominately White college campuses?

43. S.A.A.B. • Retention Strategy • Create less threatening environment • Ample opportunities for exploration of racial issues • A supportive and nurturing environment • Accountability/Commitment • To personal goals • To S.A.A.B. (I Am My Brother’s Keeper) • To institution/school • Leadership opportunities through active committees • Ongoing academic success initiative • Mentoring

44. S.A.A.B.Student African American BrotherhoodWhat makes S.A.A.B. work? • Black male’s uniqueness is recognized • Issues germane to Black males are addressed • Mentoring • Leadership Opportunities • Male Bonding Experience • Committed and dedicated advisors • High Standards/Structure

45. S.A.A.B.Student African American BrotherhoodApplied Implications • Faculty/staff mentors make a difference • AA males want support/connections with other AA males • AA males want to be campus leaders • Mentoring works • Recommendations: • Other concerned faculty/staff/students utilize this study on their campus

46. PRESENTATION TEAM

47. S.A.A.B.AFFIRMATION The Forgotten Journey 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.

48. SAAB PANEL • BRANDON TUCKER • University of Toledo • MIKE MARION • Former Advisor, San Diego State University • JUSTIN GRIMES • University of Arkansas

49. A DIALOGUE WITH THE PANEL

50. SAAB MOTTO:I AM MY BROTHER’S KEEPER AND TOGETHER WE WILL RISE”