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A scholarly chapter written by Gannon University President Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D., has been selected for inclusion in a new book focusing on the “disproportional” decline of black American males pursuing college degrees.

The book, “Black American Males in Higher Education: Diminishing Proportions,” was published Oct. 1 by Emerald Group Publishing Limited. It is edited by Drs. Henry T. Frierson, University of Florida; Willie Pearson Jr., Georgia Tech; and James H. Wyche, National Science Foundation.

Garibaldi’s article, titled “The Educational Status of African American Males in the 21st Century,” is one of 14 chapters in volume 6. The article originally was published in December, 2007 in The Journal of Negro Education (JNE), a scholarly, refereed journal founded at Howard University. It also has been published in The Sphinx, the nation’s second-oldest African-American publication still in existence, and in The Boule Journal, the national journal of Sigma Pi Phi fraternity.

In the article, Garibaldi provides his perspective on the educational attainment of African American males from the 1990s to the early 2000s. He cites numerous data, including his 1987-88 study on the performance of African American males in public schools in New Orleans, La.

Garibaldi compares the academic performance of African American males with that of other racial and ethnic groups through a number of key statistics, including SAT/ACT scores. He also provides statistics related to disciplinary problems (school suspensions and expulsions); academic performance, dropouts, and non-progression rates (when a grade level must be repeated or the student drops out of school entirely); intervention programs (placement rates in special education); and initiatives designed for high-achieving students (placement rates for “gifted” and talented programs).

Despite “modest” improvements by black males, the chapter asserts that they are still lagging behind other groups, including African America females. Garibaldi offers several strategies directed at improving the academic performance of African American males. With a focus on boosting high school and college graduation rates, his recommendations include placing greater emphasis on the importance of academic achievement and the notion that a college education is affordable, and aggressively funding enrichment and college preparation programs.

The editors of “Black American Males in Higher Education: Diminishing Proportions” contend that the number of black male students attending colleges and universities has declined disproportionately. The book’s synopsis notes, “For too long, acknowledgement of this issue has been avoided for fear that it would be clearly and too painfully felt. It is apparent that this issue can no longer be ignored and the need to examine and widely address this situation is now so vivid.”

More about Gannon University President Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D.
Dr. Antoine M. Garibaldi has served as president of Gannon University since July, 2001. He received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Howard University in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1976. In recognition of his scholarly contributions in psychology and education, he is a fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association.

Over the last 25 years, Garibaldi has written extensively on issues related to minorities at all educational levels and the widening gender gap in higher education across all racial groups. He is the author of 11 books and monographs and more than 80 research articles and chapters.