Swimming Upstream

Here is an introduction to salient topics and issues affectingBlack males as they engage in adult basic education programs,pursue employment, and obtain higher education. The chaptersinclude academic research as well as program descriptions andpersonal narratives with a concern for the "livedexperiences" and the voices of the men.While not exhaustive, this volumne does hope to challengecommonly held stereotypes, interactions, and policies. It isdesigned to raise questions about the unique experiences of thisspecific population and to explore the sociocultural dynamics thatimpact their education.This is the 144th volume of the Jossey Bass series NewDirections for Adult and Continuing Education. Noted for itsdepth of coverage, it explores issues of common interest toinstructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in abroad range of education settings, such as colleges anduniversities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, andmuseums.

EDITORS' NOTES 1Dionne Rosser-Mims, Joni Schwartz, Brendaly Drayton, Talmadge C.Guy1. Race, the Black Male, and Heterogeneous Racisms inEducation 5Juanita Johnson-Bailey, Nichole Ray, TennilleLasker-ScottThis chapter explores the effects of historical and currentracism on the educational experiences of American Black males. Theauthors use critical race theory to illustrate how assumptionsabout culture and gender have subverted the egalitarian ideals ofadult education. Teachers and students are urged to use criticalreflection and open discussion about racial issues.2. The (End)angered Black Male Swimming Against the Current15Talmadge C. GuyThis chapter discusses the sociohistorical and deeply embeddedmyths and stereotypes that have dominated narratives about Blackmen and how these shape the educational and professionalexperiences of Black men.3. The Good Provider: Missing or Overlooked? 27Brendaly DraytonThis chapter explores Black men's reasons forparticipating in an adult basic education and literacy programthrough the lens of gender identity.4. High School Equivalency as Counter-Space 37Joni SchwartzThis chapter is based on the findings of an ethnographic studyof an urban General Education Development (GED®) program andsuggests that, for some marginalized African American and otheryoung men of color, adult education programs are counter-spaces(Yosso, Ceja, Smith, & Solorzano, 2009) of spatial justice inopposition to previous negative school spaces. The chapter isframed from the perspective of critical race theory.5. A New Normal: Young Men of Color, Trauma, and Engagementin Learning 49Carlyle Van Thompson, Paul J. SchwartzThis chapter will center on the continuing impact of systemicand persistent educational trauma experienced by Black and Latinomales and how trauma affects their current learning. The youngmen's counterstories from a phenomenological study anddocumentary are included.6. The Reentry Adult College Student: An Exploration of theBlack Male Experience 59Dionne Rosser-Mims, Glenn A. Palmer, Pamela HarroffThis chapter shares findings from a qualitative study on reentryadult Black males' postsecondary education experiences andidentifies strategies to help this population matriculate throughcollege and graduate.7. Returning to School After Incarceration: Policy,Prisoners, and the Classroom 69Brian Miller, Joserichsen Mondesir, Timothy Stater, JoniSchwartzThis chapter addresses the challenges facing men of color whoreturn to adult education after incarceration. It frames theirexperience as a war from a sociopolitical and cultural context, andthen explains the support men need to succeed both in and outsidethe classroom.8. Empty Promise: Black American Veterans and the New GI Bill79Alford H. OttleyThe 2008 GI Bill offers college funds for veterans. Yet Blackmale vets are not taking advantage of these benefits. This chapterexamines personal and societal problems that hinder access tohigher education for Black vets, and suggests some ways adulteducators can advocate for these young men.9. Black Males and Adult Education: A Call to Action89Brendaly Drayton, Dionne Rosser-Mims, Joni Schwartz, Talmadge C.GuyIn this concluding chapter, the editors offer their reflectionson the key themes of this volume and implications for futureresearch and practitioners of adult education.INDEX 9