A recent report from the Schott Foundation highlights the significant decline in Black student enrollment in post-secondary education.

Despite a rise in the population of Black individuals aged 18-34, there has been a 26% decrease in undergraduate enrollment at community colleges and a 16% drop at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Furthermore, between 2011-2022, Black male enrollment saw a 39% decline.

The CEO of the Schott Foundation, Dr. John H. Jackson, emphasized the need to address the persistent disparities in high school graduation rates impacting Black males and the necessity of improving the ecosystem in which they exist.

To address these issues, the Schott Foundation developed the Loving Cities Index as a tool for local policymakers to assess the equitable access to living and learning supports for all students.

The index evaluates health resources, physical environment, community infrastructure, school policies, and financial policies to determine the degree to which city systems are addressing institutional inequities.

The foundation’s 2018 assessment of 10 cities revealed that none of them offered over 55% of the support needed for all children in the community to thrive.

The report emphasized the importance of addressing systemic racism and providing comprehensive support for children to reach their full potential.

The 2020 Love Cities identified by the Schott Foundation are Albuquerque, NM; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Detroit, MI; Hartford, CT; Jackson, MS; Miami, FL; Oakland, CA; Providence, RI; and St. Paul, MN.

Between 2012 and 2020, there was a significant improvement in the graduation rates of Black students. This improvement reduced the gap between Black and white students’ graduation rates by almost half and contributed to a 4% increase in the overall national graduation rate.

While there was an improvement in graduation rates for Black male students across all 15 districts analyzed, only one district, Mobile County, AL, had a graduation rate (88%) that was above the national average (86%).

Among the 15 districts analyzed, Detroit, MI (54%), Philadelphia, PA (59%), Baltimore City, MD (65%), Minneapolis, MN (65%), and Oakland Unified (71%) had the five lowest four-year graduation rates for Black males.

The study focusing on 15 districts throughout the country that collectively educate more than 250,000 Black male students revealed that two of these districts are in California: the Los Angeles Unified School District, where 7% of students are Black, and the Oakland Unified School District, where 21% of students are Black.

Oakland Unified had a 71% graduation rate, which was among the five lowest in the country, just above Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Minneapolis.

The graduation rate for Black males in Los Angeles Unified was slightly higher at 75%.

John Jackson, the CEO and president of the Schott Foundation, emphasized the need for action across California, particularly in these two large districts with substantial Black male populations.

Nationally, more than 600,000 Black male students who were expected to pursue post-secondary education did not do so over the past decade.

Community college enrollment among Black students decreased by 26%, and enrollment in historically Black colleges and universities declined by 16%.

Additionally, there was no increase in enrollment in four-year colleges and universities, and among Black men, college enrollment dropped by 39% between 2011 and 2020.