2022-2023 Grant in Aid of Research

A recipe for student success: Ethnic identity, social support and spirituality as predictors of resilience among Black-American male college graduates.

Sandy Belizaire

This research project is designed to assess Black male college graduates and the protective factors that foster resilience and contribute to retention and graduation rates. This study examines the relative impact and effects of ethnic identity, spirituality, and social support on the resilience of Black males who have graduated from four-year colleges and universities. Most of the work in this area has focused on developing protective factors for Black male populations who are struggling in elementary school, secondary school, community college, and post-secondary institutions. In addition, past research used a deficit-informed framework to approach research regarding Black males in K-12 settings and higher education. This study aims to fill a gap in the existing literature using a strengths-based framework to inform future research on Black male collegiate success by drawing upon their resilience.