Purpose
This collection of resources pertaining to Black males and education is an effort headed by Dr. Anthony Brown and Dr. Louis Harrison from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. With help from their graduate assistants Jessica Leitner and Alvin Logan, and their website designer Jason Molin, they have created an accessible website that provides a comprehensive collection of scholarly articles for academics, mentors, and anyone in search of literature on this topic. Their focus extends from kindergarten through higher education and includes everything from mentoring, psychological health, and sports/athletics. This collection of research is composed primarily of peer-reviewed journal articles; books, book reviews, magazines, or dissertations may be added at a later date.
Mission
Black males face many obstacles in education. Amongst this demographic, there are disproportionate dropout, expulsion, and suspension rates, overrepresentation in special education, and underrepresentation in gifted education. The U.S. education system is built on the notion of meritocracy, that those who work hard will succeed; however, this ideology must be challenged, as it does not take into account the many inequalities currently taking place. This body of scholarship is designed to educate and inform academics, policy makers, journalists, and mentors of the disparities taking place in today’s education system.
This project wouldn’t exist without the sponsorship of several offices at the University of Texas at Austin. Special thanks to:
- The College of Education’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction
- The Division of Campus and Community Engagement
- The African American Male Research Initiative
Leadership Team
DR. LOUIS HARRISON, Professor, College of Education
Dr. Louis Harrison, Jr. is currently a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Texas at Austin. A native of New Orleans, Dr. Harrison has focused his research on the influences of race related self-schemata and African American racial identity on physical activity choices and performance. Through his research he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the racial labels ascribed to particular sports and physical activities, and how these labels affect participation, persistence, and performance. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of New Orleans and his Ph.D. from LSU in 1997. In addition to his responsibilities at UT, he also serves as pastor of Pleasant Bethany Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas. He is married with four children.
DR. ANTHONY BROWN, Associate Professor, College of Education
Dr. Anthony Brown holds a dual appointment as an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and as an affiliated faculty in cultural studies in education at the John Warfield Center for African and African American Studies. His research examines how educators respond to the needs of African American students, especially males. “There are two things that African Americans have typically grappled within education—who is going to teach African American students and what we will teach African American students. My work tries to work with those questions,” said Brown. “One of the things that is so discouraging is how we dehumanize in our attempt to help. We either have contempt or pity.” Brown, who received a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was honored with the prestigious Regents Teaching Award in June 2011.
JESSICA LEITNER, Doctoral student, College of Education
Jessica Leitner is a doctoral student studying Physical Education Teacher Education. She is a passionate promoter of lifetime physical activity for all persons and is especially interested in ways to make physical education more inclusive to meet the demands of our increasingly diverse society.
JASON MOLIN, Digital Media Manager, Division of Campus and Community Engagement
Jason is the Digital Communications Director for the Division of Campus and Community Engagement. He’s been with the division since 2001 and is a graduate of the School of Information at UT Austin. When he’s not working he can be found playing guitar around town in beautiful outdoor spots.
M. YVONNE TAYLOR, Communications Coordinator, College of Education
A strategic storyteller with a consultant’s mindset, Yvonne reads between the lines, solves communication problems and gets the right message to the right people to inform, influence and inspire. With a background in higher ed communications, teaching, and minority community outreach, Yvonne feels fortunate to be able to combine her creativity and interest in diversity to benefit the Black Male Education Research Collection.
DELANDO CROOKS, Doctoral Student, College of Education
Delando Crooks is a doctoral student in the Higher Education Leadership Program. He is a Graduate Research Assitant with the African American Male Research Initiative to promote academic excellence for Black males. Delando is a former student-athlete and is very compassionate about identity development and positive experiences for Black male student-athletes.