Chapter 18: For the Culture: Socially Just Leadership Mentoring for Black College Men

Black men are faced with a complex world that does not always see them as valuable, human, and more than just their Blackness. Continually, Black men are victims of cruelty, harm, and injustice, especially in educational spaces. Even though Black men display positive leadership in various educational, occupational, familial, and community settings, the uncomfortable truth is Black men learn the value and importance of socially just leadership learning and mentorship through, not despite, their lived experiences of Blackness in society. Reoccurring instances of victimization trigger Black men and individuals with Black men in their lives to have “The Talk”: an ongoing conversation on how to situate themselves within society to prevent becoming another victim of bias. How do societal issues impact Black college men’s leadership and mentorship in higher education environments? An answer that comes to mind is largely related to how societal and community issues infiltrate higher education.