Bridging the Gap: Why Black Boys need mentorship and support

Black Boys need strong black male mentors

Introduction

Black boys in the U.S. face a complex web of systemic challenges - ranging from lower educational attainment and higher disciplinary rates, to mental health disparities and a severe shortage of role models. Thoughtful and culturally responsive mentorship can be a powerful equalizer, fostering belonging, resilience, and opportunity. Here's why - and how - we need to step up.

1. Education Disparities Highlight the Urgent Need for Support

Lower College Enrollment & Completion

• In 2021, the college enrollment rate for Black males was only 57%, below the national average of 67%.

• Only 10% of Black males aged 25-29 held a bachelor's degree or higher as of 2022.

• The six-year college completion rate for Black males was roughly 39%, compared to a national average of 60%.

Positive Impact of Mentorship Programs

• The Urban Institute evaluated the Urban Alliance program: young men, when mentored, were 15% more likely to graduate high school and 16% more likely to attend a four-year college.

  
  

• The Mentoring.org reports youth with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college, 78% more likely to volunteer, and 130% more likely to take on leadership roles.

Graduation Rates & College Access via Structured Programs

• The Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation's "Guide Right" mentoring initiative boosted high school graduation to 98.7%, with 84% attending four-year institutions.

  
  

• The Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) shows college graduation rates of 86% among its members - compared to a national average of 42% for Black men.

Black male graduation

2. Disciplinary Disparities, Adultification, and School-to-Prison Pipeline

School Discipline Disparities

• Black boys are three times more likely than other students to be suspended from school. Why? (See: Adultification below)

• From 2013 - 14, Black boys accounted for 17.6% of all out-of-school suspensions.

Adultification Bias

• Research shows Black boys are often seen as "less innocent" and treated more punitively, contributing to higher rates of suspension, entrenching the school-to-prison pipeline.

Mentorship is a Buffer

• In Philadelphia, Black boys aged 12-20 with a natural mentor were nearly 3x more likely to earn good grades. They also experienced fewer suspensions and were less likely to be involved in school conflicts or violence.

3. Mental Health & the Critical Need for Culturally Responsive Support

Disparities in Mental Health Access and Support

• African American male youth report mental health challenges at rates 40% higher than white counterparts - but only 25% receive mental health support.

  
  

• Among 157 school-based programs studied, only 8% were designed to meet the unique cultural needs of African American male students.

• When culturally adapted, interventions increased engagement by 156% and improved outcomes by 89%.

Mental Health in black boys are often overlooked

Mentorship as a Mental Health Support

In the Mapping the Mentoring Gap study among Black/African American youth:

• 80% reported improved mental health ("good or excellent").

• 66% felt a stronger sense of belonging.

• 95% graduated high school.

• 82% pursued further education or training.

4. Role of Black Mentors: Empathy, Identity, and Guiding Through Shared Experience

Cultural Responsiveness Matters

• Black mentors understand systemic challenges firsthand, building trust that transcends superficial guidance.

Positive Racial Identity & Critical Consciousness

• Mentors help reinforce positive racial identity, pride, and academic motivation.

• They also foster critical consciousness - meaningful awareness of social injustices and tools to navigate them.

Black Men in Education as Mentors

• Having even one Black male educator significantly reduces dropout rates (by 39%) and raises college aspirations (by 19%).

Black Male Educators make all the difference

5. Real-World Programs Making a Difference

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS): In Miami, mentees show impressive outcomes:

• 95% maintain or improve educational expectations.

• 99.6% are promoted or graduate high school.

• 95% enroll in post-secondary education.

• 90.2% improve academically; 93.1% avoid risky behaviors.

  
  

iMentor: Achieved a 93% college acceptance rate among underserved high school mentees in 2022-23, and minimized "summer melt" to just 13% in NYC.

My Brother's Keeper Alliance continues efforts begun under the Obama administration to mobilize civic, nonprofit, and private sectors to close opportunity gaps for boys of color.

CALL TO ACTION: Why We Must Act

The evidence is clear: mentorship isn't just beneficial - It's transformative. For Black boys, mentoring translates into higher graduation rates, increased college enrollment, improved mental health, reduced disciplinary incidents, and a strengthened sense of identity.

Key takeaways:

• Black boys face unique systemic barriers across education, discipline, mental health, and access to role models.

  
  

• Structured, culturally responsive mentorship programs show strong, measurable impact.

• Mentorship fosters academic success, emotional resilience, and future opportunities.

• Programs like BBBS, iMentor, Guide Right, SAAB, and others demonstrate real-world success.

To drive equitable change, we need more Black mentors, culturally informed programming, and broad-based support - from schools, nonprofits, communities, and policy. When we invest in Black boys, we invest in the future of justice, resilience, and opportunity for all.