Here’s someone to keep an eye on, UPenn professor Shaun Harper, who is doing some interesting work on the dismal track record black men have in higher education. Harper will be speaking on the topic tomorrow at Philander Smith College in Arkansas.

From the college press release: 

Less than one-third of Black males who enter colleges and universities actually obtain bachelor’s degrees, which is the lowest college completion rate among both sexes and all racial/ethnic groups. Among those who persist, engagement in educationally purposeful activities is woefully low.

Black men in higher education in Arkansas perform at an even lower level, with only about 25% graduating from public and private colleges in six years. Last year, after reviewing the poor academic performance of the Black male students at Philander Smith, officials at the college created a Black Male Initiative to develop programs and strategies to improve success. As the initiative enters its second year, the forum and lecture by Harper is designed for all colleges and universities from across the state to engage in a dialogue about the challenges facing Black males on college campuses, why they occur, and the strategies that might be employed to improve their success.

Little Rock not on your travel plans for tomorrow? Here’s a profile of Harper published last year, which explains his philosophy. An excerpt:

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