To increase the number of African-American men with doctorates in the sciences, the 100 Black Men of America and the National Consortium for Educational Access (NCEA) have begun a new fellowship program.
“In the next five years we’re going to see an extreme shortage in minority Ph.D.s,” said Dr. Leroy Ervin, president of the NCEA and the Education Chairman of the 100 Black Men of America, which is countering that trend by granting awards to students earning their doctorates. “We only give awards for the Ph.D. because it is a teaching degree.
This way, we are investing in human capital, which gives the greatest return in the long run,” said Ervin. “It’s not that we don’t need doctors or lawyers, but there are other mechanisms to generate that. This program will strengthen the historically Black colleges and put more Ph.D.s on predominantly white campuses to help other minorities negotiate that system.”
The NCEA’s goal is to increase the national pool of minorities with doctorate degrees in underrepresented disciplines, like science and math, by encouraging students and supporting them through graduate study. There are currently III NCEA fellows enrolled in Ph.D. programs in sixty institutions across the country. The 100 Black Men, a service organization with chapters throughout the country, works to increase educational opportunities for all minorities, specifically African-American males.
