Perceived Barriers to African American Male Education Completion

Abstract

In efforts to inform future school counseling and educational practices, the following research paper was constructed to determine “What are the perceived barriers to African American male education completion?” This paper seeks to expose roadblocks and define the role father absenteeism plays in the educational experience of inner city African American males. Themes of household makeup and parental substitutions, exposure to risk factors, and the formation of identity were explored. Both a literature review and research study were conducted. The findings revealed numerous barriers such as a patterned cycle involving father absence, past failures, identity formation, generational behaviors, and the breakdown of the African American community.