African American males and collegiate sports continue to be a topic of debate in higher education. The arguments range from how athletics hamper the academic performance of African American athletes to how collegiate sports open many life-changing opportunities for the athletes.
Former collegiate athlete Yusuf Sabree was a standout student-athlete who currently holds the position of district dean of student services at Wayne County (Mich.) Community College. Under the guidance of Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail, president of Saint Augustine’s University in North Carolina, Sabree recently conducted a study to glean perspectives of former African American male community college athletes’ experiences. These student-athletes were also interviewed about the support services that they needed.
Dr. Christine Johnson McPhail
Sabree decided to target Michigan community college former athletes as participants in his study. Michigan community colleges are open-admission institutions that offer affordable education and provide a vehicle for African American males who might not otherwise pursue a college education. Sabree’s research revealed that community colleges appeared to be failing African American males, in general, and African American male student-athletes, in particular. Sabree discovered that huge educational gaps existed in transfer rates for this population at community colleges across the nation (Harper, 2009). His research also revealed that although athletic and academic experiences may vary for African American males entering community college, African American males often are academically unprepared, drop out at high rates, and face multiple types of systemic racism before they reach the college campus.
Varied academic experiences were among the findings Sabree identified through interviews with student-athletes. Participants in the study reported challenges while attending the community college that varied from a lack of previous support in high school to having no motivation to attend college classes.
From the interviews, Sabree identified guiding principles for future student-athletes’ community college success, including:
• Practice discipline and demonstrate a great deal of maturity.
• Engage in relationship building.
