The Effects of Culturally Responsive Mentoring on the High School to College Matriculation of Urban African American Males

Abstract

This study presents culturally responsive mentoring as a theoretical framework for supporting the high school to college matriculation and retention of African American males. In secondary and post-secondary education, strategic interventions such as pre-college programs and mentoring are not new to educators, administrators, and policymakers. Notwithstanding, given the recent educational achievement challenges faced by African American males in the United States, implementing African-centered curricula, recruiting African American men as mentors, and establishing all-male classrooms have shown positive impacts on the identity development, schooling persistence, and academic achievement of low-income, urban African American males. These interventions require long-term institutional leadership, commitment, and systemic integration to sustain impact and outcomes.