Examining the experiences of formerly incarcerated black men at community colleges: the role of community cultural wealth

Abstract

This study directs attention to an oft-overlooked group of students in higher education: formerly incarcerated Black men (FIBM). Specifically, we aim to generate knowledge about how FIBM experience the college-going process to inform policy and practice aimed at broadening their participation and increasing their persistence. Two research questions guide our analysis: (1) How do FIBM understand and conceptualize the importance of college? (2) What factors help facilitate their access to and persistence in college? Employing qualitative research methods, we draw on Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth perspective as a conceptual frame. Three major findings were identified: “Choosing Community College as a Life-or-Death Decision,” “Education as Liberation,” “Critical Role of Institutional Agents.”