Creating Conditions of Mattering to Enhance Persistence for Black Men at an Historically Black University

A strong body of research has documented the supportive environments of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and discussed their impact on facilitating student success. Notwithstanding the consistency of these findings, recent evidence indicates low graduation rates at HBCUs, especially among Black men. Using the voices of four student affairs practitioners and Schlossberg’s theory of marginality and mattering, data from this article suggest that HBCUs could be more proactive in creating conditions of mattering to enhance persistence for Black men. Implications for institutional practice and future research are discussed.