The disparities between students at Kennesaw State is something universities seek to change, made clear at a meeting of KSU’s African American Male Initiative held Thursday, Sept. 12.
KSU’s AAMI has created programs and services to aid African American men on campus toward success.
AAMI has presented a plethora of programs that are open to everyone, but one of the more familiar programs is “Wings and Bowties.”
The Wings and Bowties program teaches young men how to tie a bowtie or tie properly while also providing them additional information on the appropriate business casual and business professional attire.
Among the many programs they hold, AAMI also has a social event called “Dab Wednesday” where they dress for success. AAMI Director and KSU Associate Director of Cultural and Community Centers Brandon Jackson explained the symbolism within black men dressing professionally on Wednesdays.
“There is a narrative out there about black males,” Jackson said. “There is the narrative that they come into college academically underprepared, there is the narrative that they come low income, there is the narrative that they don’t understand social graces and etiquette that college graduates are supposed to know and understand. So, we try to combat that narrative by showing examples and teaching them.”
Although they continuously defy stereotypes, AAMI is more than an organization that periodically wears suits.
AAMI is a grant-funded initiative that was established in 2002 by the University System of Georgia. After the USG recognized there were deficiencies pertaining to black male retention and graduation rates, AAMI was designed to help all USG schools improve those issues.
According to statistics from the USG, 40 percent of males at KSU graduate within a six-year time span and the retention rate for freshmen seeking a bachelor’s degree at KSU is 79 percent.
AAMI has steadily been raising those rates within the black male community.
According to the AAMI page on the USG site, black male enrollment in USG has increased by 80 percent and the black male six-year graduation rate has increased from 29 percent to 41 percent.
KSU’s AAMI has created different cohorts to unite black men on campus and instill the three pillars of development — academics, leadership and professionalism.
These cohorts are known as Distinguished Black Gentlemen, Freshmen AAMI Members and the Ambassador Program.
The FAM program recruits high school graduates and sends an invitation to all of the accepted black KSU freshmen males. The 25 members selected enter the AAMI community.
The Ambassador Program includes 12 upperclassmen who give back to the program by leading the freshman and hosting events.
DBG is the largest cohort ranging from 40-50 men. This program provides a concept of brotherhood while also exploring the black male identity.
KSU AAMI is expanding and inspiring young African American males to not only succeed academically, but also to become active students through creative and innovative events such as “Barbershop Talk,” “The Etiquette Seminar” and “Identity Theft.”
Daka David, a mentor for AAMI and one of the first members to join FAM, expressed how this organization has improved his college experience.
“I would still graduate on time, but I do believe I would not have the same impact as I do right now,” David said. “I would not be as involved without AAMI, I would have just probably went to class and went home and focused on my studies.”
KSU AAMI’s main goal is to help African American males be academically successful in college and they are achieving that mission one student at a time.
For more information follow the Instagram @ksuaami.
