Helping Young Black, Latino Men Succeed Through Support and Challenging Stereotypes - Higher Education: When President Obama announced his $200 million My Brother’s Keeper initiative for Black boys, I wondered why Black and Latino men are still an enigma to the higher education community. Ten years ago I met Kenny, a chatty and bright student from metropolitan New York. He played lacrosse and was active in several student organizations. His charisma, guided by an infectious, boyish smile and endless conversation starters, made him hard to miss on campus.
During his sophomore year at Vassar, the college hosted the Consortium on High Achievement (CHAS) annual Black and Latino Males conference, where more than 20 selective liberal arts colleges sent teams of students, faculty and administrators to participate. I watched as he networked and built relationships, tapping into the strengths responsible for his success.
