For more than 175 years, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played a significant role in educating Black students. This book examines the experiences of a cohort of 16 Black male math majors at Morehouse College referred to as "the mathematical brotherhood." Through the lenses of Black masculinity and critical race theory, the author employs an asset-based approach to tell a captivating story about this cohort within a racially affirming learning community. Readers will hear how Morehouse empowers the students, as well as how they navigate and manage ongoing racial challenges, mathematical spaces, and society. Amplifying the voices of the participants, the study showcases the nation's top producer of Black male math majors, extends the knowledge base regarding HBCUs' multigenerational legacy of success, and makes a significant contribution to the growing body of discipline-based education research. The author provides recommendations for families, educators, policymakers, and researchers to improve Black boys' and men's mathematics achievement and academic outcomes. Book Features: Centers Black males' cautionary tales about navigating school and society not only in their college years, but also in their formative years. Provides insights regarding Black males' persistence in mathematics. Includes ethnographic data that brings a math learning community to life. Draws upon race-related frameworks to document Black male success in college.
Christopher C. Jett is an associate professor of mathematics education in the College of Education & Human Development at Georgia State University. He received an NSF CAREER award, the 2019 Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) Early Career Award, and a 2019 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
Contents Foreword Duane Cooper ?xi Prelude ?xiii Acknowledgments ?xvii Introduction ?1 Why Mathematics? ?2 Why Brothers? ?5 HBCUs ?8 Scholarship on Mathematics at HBCUs ?10 Overview of the Book ?11 1. ?Morehouse Mathematics ?13 Morehouse College: An Institutional Portrait ?13 Morehouse Mathematics: A Historical Portrait ?15 Morehouse Mathematics: A Contemporary Portrait ?19 2. ?The Brothers' Journey to Morehouse Mathematics ?26 Family Dynamics ?26 Journey to Mathematics ?27 Journey to Morehouse ?38 Conclusion ?42 3. ?The Mathematical Brotherhood ?44 Morehouse's Brotherhood ?44 Major Declaration ?46 The Mathematical Brotherhood ?49 Mathematical Persistence ?53 Mathematical Trials and Tribulations ?56 Division Among the Brothers ?61 Conclusion ?63 4. ?The Faculty ?65 The Mathematics Faculty ?65 Student-Generated Descriptions of the Mathematics Faculty ?69 Less Highly Regarded Mathematics Faculty ?75 Faculty Improvements ?78 Non-Mathematics Faculty ?80 Conclusion ?82 5. ?Morehouse's Mathematics Learning Community ?84 Math Lab ?84 Third Floor Respect ?87 Third Floor Disrespect ?89 Collegiate Activities and Events ?92 Alumni-Related Activities and Events ?99 Summary of Activities and Events to Promote Community ?102 Conclusion ?103 6. ?The Brothers' Racialized Experiences ?105 Racialized K-12 Experiences ?105 Racialized Experiences in Math-Related Contexts ?109 Racialized Experiences in Everyday Life ?113 Morehouse as a Racially Affirming Space ?118 Conclusion ?120 7. ?Moving Forward ?121 Future Goals and Aspirations ?121 Implications for Undergraduate Math Education ?124 Implications for Families ?128 Implications for K-12 Math Education ?130 Implications for Broadening the Participation of Black Men in the Mathematical Sciences ?132 Implications for Policy ?134 Implications for Future Research ?135 Coda ?137 Afterword Erica N. Walker ?139 Appendix A: Theoretical and Methodological Notes ?143 Appendix B: Observational Data ?147 Appendix C: Fraternal Vocabulary ?151 Appendix D: Acronym Glossary ?153 Notes ?155 References ?157 Index ?175 About the Author ?183
"Well-written and well-documented...It is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in creating a thriving undergraduate program at their university or anyone especially interested in cultivating the mathematical skills of the students they teach. It is not just a book for researchers or college mathematics professors. Jett offers readers a playbook on how to foster excellence in their students during a time when many undergraduates who express interest in mathematics are being driven away from the subject due to the inability of many to teach and provide welcoming environments to learn and grow." -Education Review "This book pushes beyond the common stereotypes of Black exceptionalism that the school is commonly associated with, and anchors the study using Black masculinity and Critical Race Theory to unpack the complex nature of mathematics and the racial contexts of Black male students in higher education." -Teachers College Record
