African American Parents and Their High-Achieving Students: Issues of Race, Class, and Community in the College Choice Process

Abstract

Although a significant body of research clearly identifies parents as one of the strongest influences in the student college choice process, researchers have limited information about the interactions between African American students and parents during this process, and about what African American parents value in institutions of higher education. African American parental behavior resonates with the general literature on parental influence and involvement; however, African American college choice criteria also reflect the racialized experiences and identities of African American families in the USA. This paper sheds light on how African American parents navigate the college choice process with their children, and it contributes to a relatively small body of knowledge focused on culturally constructed African American parental influence and school engagement.