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Male students at Tuskegee University are getting a different kind of leadership support thanks to a new mentorship program.
Tuskegee University recently hit a 10-year enrollment high at 3366 for the 2024-2025 academic year. But a deeper look at recent trends show that a gender gap in that enrollment is wide. For the current year, 61% of Tuskegee students are female, with a 39% total for male students.
A new partnership with the African American Male Education Network & Development (A²MEND), seeks to address and reverse those numbers – the organization’s first chapter with an HBCU.
A²MEND board members recently met with Tuskegee leaders to formalize an agreement to create a student charter on Tuskegee’s campus. The first meeting since signing the official charter will be held Wednesday.
“We are thrilled to explore how our program can be a part of the Tuskegee legacy by meeting a need for more prescriptive support that young Black men are experiencing,” said Dr. Erin Vines, executive director of A²MEND. “There is a community waiting for them at Tuskegee, a brotherhood already waiting, and it is beautiful to have that level of support in place to foster student success and develop culturally competent student servant leaders.”
Through its student charters primarily at community colleges, leadership programs, and advocacy initiatives, A²MEND provides academic resources, mentorship opportunities, and professional development to help students excel in college and beyond. With a focus on education, cultural awareness, and student success, A²MEND works closely with faculty, administrators, and community leaders to create a supportive environment where all students can thrive.
At Tuskegee, the chapter will be led by someone who is uniquely qualified to share the value of the A²MEND experience.
Da‘Monik Millan’s higher education journey started at Tuskegee University in 2010, made stops including Cosumnes River College and now includes a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Sacramento. He was introduced to the A²MEND support system through Dr. Edward Bush, president of Cosumnes River College and a co-founder of A²MEND.
With 58 charters primarily at community colleges on the West Coast, the program also aims to create a pathway from community college to four-year programs, like the one that eventually led Millan to CSU Sacramento – and now back to Tuskegee where he works as an adviser in the university’s
Students First REACH Center.
Millan is enjoying his full-circle moment at Tuskegee championing the A²MEND philosophy for young Black men at Tuskegee, along with Dr. Cecil Duffie, Dean of the University Chapel, who will serve as the program coordinator.
“I want to make sure they feel safe, that what they have to say is met with support and love and that we’re having some honest conversations about accountability,” Millan said, adding that a big part of that accountability is not settling for less than “being academically excellent.”
“It’s a family-oriented space – open to all, and I can’t stress that enough – to help them understand what trust looks like, not only among your peers but also with mentors.”
According a 2024 study by the American Institute for Boys and Men (AIBM), and other significant research data, the decline in enrollment of Black male students at all colleges and universities is pronounced. The AIBM cites that HBCUs have experienced an overall Black male student enrollment decline of 25% since 2010, and a 22% decline across all colleges and universities.
“These numbers represent larger facts about how boys and young men are seeing the world, and their place in it – regardless of race, social status, or zip code,” said Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO. “We also know that for Black boys and young men, in particular, these conversations must be engaged with cultural competence around the range of their lived experiences – and that’s the expertise we are gaining with A²MEND.”
“Tuskegee has always risen to the challenge of solving problems that impact our nation, and we will do it again in the Renaissance Era as we support young Black men in succeeding,” said Dr. Brown. “We know that we are enough and that we are the help we need to attract, keep and graduate more young Black men from Mother Tuskegee, sending them on to greater heights prepared to change our world.”
Students interested in learning more about the A²MEND chapter at Tuskegee University can email Da‘Monik Millan at
dmillan@tuskegee.edu.
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