Invisible Men

Black Issues in Higher Education, June 24, 1999 by Starita Smith

One of their findings was that although more than 60 percent of Black male students say they believed they needed remedial help, only a small percentage took advantage of the developmental courses their college offered.

Hampton hopes further study will reveal why those students don't seek help. His hunch is that they shy away from such help because they feel uncomfortable and because they identify with a peer group that rarely seeks out remediation.

"In our sample, unless they were athletes, they don't come in for help," Hampton says. "We have to look at the outreach to African American men with a goal of helping them clarify objectives.

Hagedorn believes urging Black male students to set academic goals could be key to persuading more students to take advantage of remedial courses, tutors, and other study aides offered by colleges.

Another major difference between Black male students and their counterparts in other groups is that more Black male college students tended to have more family responsibilities and a greater level of them, the researchers say.

Although Hampton's dissertation will not be completed until December, he and Hagedorn are disseminating their results. Hampton recently gave a speech at the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting.

Hampton says he has but one goal: "I don't care where a Black man goes to school, just that he must go and finish," he says. "I chose a community college for my research because I'm here. But there has been so little research, I'm glad I did it."