Bending the Arc One Young Man at a Time

In the context of moving more Americans into the skill level they need for satisfying, family-sustaining jobs in the 21^stcentury, making public college tuition free is a much debated topic.

Post-secondary learning has a big impact on earning.  Census data from 2016 noted that people with high school degrees earned an average of $35,615 a year, while those with a bachelor’s degree jumped up to an average of $65,482 per year and people holding advanced degrees made an average of $92,525 a year.  It’s important to get all Americans on this learning and earning upward trajectory, but it is critically important to bring along those who have historically lagged furthest behind in college attainment:  young black men and Hispanic men.  If college attainment is a lever for a lifetime of higher earning potential, it is also a lever for economic equity.

But is college tuition the biggest obstacle to college attainment for young men of color?  Experience tells us, no.  The climb up and over begins with the aspiration and the confidence to go to college.  But getting through college, even with financial support, is a challenge.  College attainment stats show that while 57% of white college-going men earn a bachelor’s degree in six years or under, only 33% of black men do.  

Colleges and universities around the country are trying an array of approaches to help students stick it out and achieve their goals.  Some use intensive advising, making sure that students are choosing the courses they need to stay on track for their majors and completing on time.  Others offer robust academic support to ensure classroom success.  While others focus on keeping financial woes at bay.

Another approach we know well – targeted directly at young black men and young men of color – is one that creates a comprehensive social support system built on the values of service, discipline, leadership, and accountability.  It models success and makes it okay to look and speak and act and dream differently.  It builds networks at individual colleges as well as providing a national structure, linking students together while they are in school and keeping them connected after they graduate.  And it reaches down into high schools to activate those students’ aspiration to attend college.  The organization is called SAAB (the Student African American Brotherhood) and it has the audacious ultimate goal of changing the national conversation about race.  SAAB is explicit about how guiding young men of color to higher educational attainment and consequent career success will help erase the divide our society has suffered for so long.

Nearing its 30^th year, SAAB has 350 chapters in 40 states with 12,000 college and high school student members.  Founder Tyrone Bledsoe, Ph.D. was inspired to build the SAAB model in reaction to the woeful GPA of African American men at his institution, Georgia Southwestern State University, where he was associate vice president for student affairs.  The grade point difference was stark between the university average and that of young black male students.  “Doc” as he is called began with a weekly check in session where students could express their struggles and they could, together, suggest answers and lend moral support.  The reaction was powerful. Students could visualize success, not only in terms of raising grades up, but also in terms of becoming leaders and building agency, and they could learn from each other how best to get there.  

As the experiment expanded, SAAB added elements of service not only to the chapter’s home communities but also service to making the chapters thrive.  SAAB is more bottom-up than top-down.  Each chapter writes its own strategic plan – in collaboration with its university or college advisor partner – to realize individual goals and recognize what works best for their members.  Running the chapters is part of training for success beyond college.  

The SAAB effect on persistence has been substantial and sustained.  While the average for all black students to attain a bachelor’s degree in six years or less is 40%, SAAB members have an 80% persistence rate over that fraught first year to second year and have a completion rate of 86%.

SAAB’s latest echelon of structure is an “Ambassadors Council”.  The council is national in scope now, but aiming to spin off regional councils as well.  Ambassadors not only provide financial support to grow the organization to meet the scale of need, but also provide active career guidance and networking entrée for SAAB members.  With thousands of SAAB graduates out in the world, the organization has formed a formal Alumni Council, as welltoo.  The role is to extend the support, encouragement and affirmation students received while in school to their years as graduates as they make their way.

At national and regional conferences, you can spot SAAB members a mile away. They have a confident air.  They walk with purpose.  They look sharp.  They are engaged with the world. They are ready to embrace the future.  Yes, college costs matter.  Financial support matters if more young people, especially men of color, are to aspire to and earn post-secondary degrees.  But so does mentoring and support and accountability and inspiration.  With the passing of each year, SAAB brothers are bending the arc of history, one member at a time.