Goal-Oriented African-American Men Excel (GAME)
Purpose
The GAME program is a cultural enrichment and support program primarily for first-year Black men. The program was designed to address the lack of support that students were receiving and to serve as a gateway into the study of African American arts and humanities. Students in GAME study African American literature, spoken word poetry, black visual art, and other artistic forms.
Students enrolled in GAME will fulfill the following general education requirements: First Semester Transition, Global Cultures Experience, and Breadth-Humanities.
Elements of GAME
- Coverage of African American writers, artists, and cultural figures, including Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, Amiri Baraka, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tyehimba Jess, Jay-Z, and Kehinde Wiley.
- Regular discussions about opportunities and challenges concerning Black men in college and across America.
- Participation in team-building, educational programming.
Self-reported impact of the GAME Program
GAME students often state that they benefit from the experience of covering black writers and participating in extended discussions about the experiences of young Black men. Given their “minority” status on campus, the participants continually highlight the value of a class designed with Black men in mind. Years after the class, GAME students comment on the importance of a program that assisted them in identifying critical challenges and opportunities so early in their collegiate careers.