In our own words: Academically successful and unsuccessful low‐income African American young men talk about academic life

abstract

A research team of Black and White, male and female, student and faculty members applied rhetorical analysis to interviews conducted with low‐income African American young men. The team identified and examined major themes that emerged as young African American men attending an inner city parochial high school discuss school life. Several patterns emerged that distinguished more academically successful students from the less. Surprisingly, some tendencies that might have been expected as distinguishing characteristics do not emerge as defining qualities.

Key words:

• African American men
• organizational communication styles
• academic success
• academic failure