COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Fred Bonner

TITLE: GRAVITY DEFIED: BLACK MALES ESTABLISHING A SENSE OF AGENCY AND BELONGING IN THE EBONY TOWERS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS

ABSTRACT:

The persistent underrepresentation of Black males in higher education, including within Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), remains a critical concern for scholars and policymakers. (Strayhorn, 2017; Harper, 2012). Despite HBCUs’ legacy as spaces of Black academic achievement, Black males continue to experience declining enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. National Center for Education Statistics (2022) data indicate that Black men comprise less than 6% of college enrollments, reflecting broader systemic inequities that shape their educational trajectories. These patterns highlight the need to examine not only structural barriers but also the lived experiences that influence Black males’ sense of agency and belonging within academic spaces, conceptualized here as the “Ebony Tower.” This qualitative phenomenological study explores how Black males at four HBCUs (two public and two private) Texas Southern University (public), Prairie View A&M University (public), Huston-Tillotson (private), and Wiley College (private) construct and experience agency and belonging. Grounded in critical race theory (Crenshaw, 1996), Strayhorn’s (2018) sense of belonging framework, Black male identity development theory, (Cross, W.E. Jr., 1971) and theory of student departure (Tinto, 1993), the study centers participants’ narratives to examine how institutional contexts, relationships, and cultural dynamics support or hinder persistence within the Ebony Tower Arena. The study contributes to scholarship by illuminating how Black males navigate, resist, and thrive within environments shaped by both historical legacy and contemporary inequities. Findings offer practical implications for developing culturally responsive retention strategies, affirming Black male agency, and fostering inclusive institutional climates. Ultimately, this research reframes Black males not as at risk, but as resilient scholars whose presence and contributions are essential to the future of higher education.

Keywords: Black males, agency, sense of belonging, ebony tower, higher education, HBCUs, critical race theory (CRT), persistence, theory of student departure, Black male identity development theory

Room Location: Delco Building, Room 228