The Value and Necessity of Mentoring African American College Students at PWI's

The Impact of Race Racism, defined as the inherent belief in the superiority/ inferiority of one group over another (Roger & Kitano, 1970) has impacted the social, economic, and emotional well-being of African Americans (Asante, 2003; Better, 2007; Franklin & Moss, 2000; Karenga, 2002; Reid-Merritt, 2010). The construct of race, socially defined as the ability to separate and categorize individuals based on the color of their skin, has been used as a barrier to participation for the African American community since the earliest inception of the nation (Karenga, 2010). Over a period of more than 300 years, numerous efforts have been made to foster feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, low self-esteem, and social isolation in members of the Black community. Marable (2003) notes that the cultural history of Blacks in the United States consists of the struggle to maintain their own group's sense of identity, social cohesion, and integrity in the face of policies which have been designed to deny their common humanity and particularity. Surviving and thriving in a racially charged social environment has been an ongoing challenge for the African American community. Thinking of race strictly as an ideological construct denies the reality of a racialized society and its impact of this construct on everyday lives; one must be cognizant of racism that African Americans must face in different facets of their lives, including education. Education may not be the only opportunity towards social mobility, though it is an important one. Education provides some equilibrium on multiple levels within the African American society (Harris & Harper, 2012). African American students experience a multitude of problems ranging from micro aggressions to institutional racism that exists on the schools campuses; racial tension is a visible reality on many college campuses. The academic setting can be described as a foreign place with a different language (academic) and expectations than high school. Now add the issue of being an African American student in attempting to navigate the complex nature of issues, and challenges, of the academic environment. One must require a new skill set including advanced study skills, socialization skills, research skills, and the ability to exploit networking contacts. Some of these skills may be foreign to many, particularly to first generation minority students. Some African-American students who attend predominantly white universities (PWI's) can also experience internal tensions regarding their cultural identity and their desire to acclimate. Dubois (1999) acknowledged 110 years ago the significance of a college education for the African-American. In, The Souls of Black Folk, Dubois made the poignant point that If White people need colleges to furnish teachers, ministers, lawyers, and doctors, do Black people need nothing of the sort? (p. 132). For Black students, thriving and surviving academically despite numerous encounters with racism may necessitate developing a coping strategy in order to succeed academically. W.E.B. Du Bois coined the concept of double consciousness, whereby a black people are essentially forced to have two identities and pressured to view themselves as they're perceived by their non-black peers. History of Forced Integration Throughout their history, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have answered for the aspirations of their African American students. From the late nineteenth century through the mid twentieth century, HBCUs enrolled more than 90 percent of African American college students educated in the United States. From the 1950s and 1960s following the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation decision, HBCUs were a main access point for African Americans who sought to achieve economic and social mobility through higher education. A consequence of desegregation was the declining enrollments at HBCU's. Reductions in the purchasing power of federal aid have been a major factor in this, as have reductions in the level of state support on a per-pupil basis. …