“Well-written and well-documented…It is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in creating a thriving undergraduate program at their university or anyone especially interested in cultivating the mathematical skills of the students they teach. It is not just a book for researchers or college mathematics professors. Jett offers readers a playbook on how to foster excellence in their students during a time when many undergraduates who express interest in mathematics are being driven away from the subject due to the inability of many to teach and provide welcoming environments to learn and grow.”
—Education Review
“This book pushes beyond the common stereotypes of Black exceptionalism that the school is commonly associated with, and anchors the study using Black masculinity and Critical Race Theory to unpack the complex nature of mathematics and the racial contexts of Black male students in higher education.”
—Teachers College Record
“This book has potential for broad impact, as the insights about these men’s development can be useful to educators in grade schools, colleges, and universities and can be replicated in the development of Black boys and men in mathematics, where we remain sorely underrepresented.”
—From the Foreword by Duane Cooper, associate professor of mathematics, Morehouse College
“There is much to be learned and, hopefully, put into practice at institutions and departments that recognize the importance of care and real investment in students’ potential….We are fortunate to have heard the mathematical stories told by these wise and thoughtful students, brought to life by this talented scholar.”
—From the Afterword by Erica N. Walker, Clifford Brewster Upton Professor of Mathematical Education, Teachers College, Columbia University
“Dr. Jett reveals innovative strategies to teach math to Black males by recalling stories of math students at Morehouse College set against the backdrop of modern race and gender dynamics in the United States. Black Male Success in Higher Education masterfully connects mathematical sciences and culture, making it a must-read for anyone interested in using math as a mechanism to increase the inclusion of Black men in higher education.”
—Ivory A. Toldson, professor, Howard University
“Dr. Christopher Jett has long been a gift to mathematics, to Morehouse College, and to the many young men he has mentored in the classroom and beyond. Now he offers yet another gift to us—undeniable evidence of the transformative power of Black male fraternity in mathematics. An intergenerational story of how interest in a single subject can transform a life and, by virtue of it, many, many more, Jett's Black Male Success in Higher Education gives readers a good look at both the roots and wings of student success at the nation's more than 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Of course, what we do with what we learn in these pages is up to us. But the case is clear: Supportive, nurturing, and affirming environments are built by everyday people's everyday choices. We too, in our choosing, are afforded the opportunity to do for the present and future generations what previous generations did for us.”
—Crystal A. deGregory, historian and research fellow, Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
