It is more than a degree: Black men’s motivation for pursuing doctorates in education

Abstract

Black men historically in graduate education have endured issues of racial indignity, hostile classroom environments, microaggressions, and questioning of intellectual ability, which subsequently have a negative effect on doctoral enrollment. Not only do Black men in doctoral programs undergo acts of racism in their educational experiences at many Historically White Institutions (HWIs); they seemingly operate in educational spaces where their presence is not welcome at certain institutions. What is more important, is how historical educational policies and practices embedded in racism, have created structures that fail to adequately address how access and preparedness for graduate programs, exclude the challenges Black men have faced throughout their educational socialization. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to share intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors impacting seven Black men’s pursuit of a doctoral degree.