The plight of Black males continues to take center stage at institutions such as The Ohio State University, which hosted its 13th annual National Black Male Retreat over the weekend.
The gathering, which drew more than 120 Black male college students from across the nation, has been hailed as a model for providing young men an opportunity to reflect on their personal and professional growth away from their respective campuses.
“A higher education offers immense benefits to students, such as higher salaries, better health outcomes and greater social mobility,” said Dr. James L. Moore III, EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education and Executive Director for the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male at OSU. “Unfortunately, too many Black males are underrepresented in higher education, and, for those who do attend college, they are frequently confronted with challenges similar to all student populations as well as challenges unique to Black males regardless of the social context.”
This year’s retreat, themed “Developing a Blueprint for Wellness,” comes on the heels of a new report in the New York Times that Black boys raised in America —regardless of their economic backgrounds — earn less in adulthood than their White male counterparts.
Moore, also the Interim Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Interim Chief Diversity Officer at OSU and an expert on Black males in higher education, spoke to the young men from 18 schools about the importance of embracing the ethos of excellence.
The gathering, at Deer Creek State Park, is “a retreat versus a conference because it is a getaway to work on improving self,” said Moore. “Stated differently, it focuses on developing the whole person — mind, body and spirt. Student attendees are offered important strategies for academic and career success.”
Throughout the weekend, intimate conversations focused on a variety of topics. Sessions titled “Creating a Strategic Plan for Your Professional Future,” “Getting Back to the Basics: Financial Planning 101” and “Black Environmental Literacy: Reconnecting with Black Outdoor Heritage in the United States” proved useful for participants like Steven Jones, 22, a student at Northern Kentucky University.
