Synthesizing and using existing evidence to address racial inequities that disadvantage college men of color. Doing so requires resisting imprecise, generic generalizations about racial/ethnic groups, and instead using disaggregated data to address population-specific challenges.

Discarding deficit perspectives on college men of color and refusing to view those students’ communities as problems. Instead, acknowledging institutional shortcomings and empowering employees to fix policies, practices, conditions, and deficit mindsets that negatively affect men of color.

Recognizing the nuanced interconnectedness of systems and conditions that work together to both support and cyclically disadvantage men of color. Also accounting for and redressing historical negligence and harm, as well as resisting simplistic activity-based remedies.

Recognizing how race intersects with gender, citizenship and documentary status, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, language, ability, religion, and a range of identities that college men of color possess and perform.

Working to dismantle systems of oppression and institutionalized racism by strategically using research to inform policy, practice, and curriculum on behalf of college men of color.

We are now accepting applications from four-year colleges and universities through March 3, 2025. Fifteen four-year institutions from across the U.S. will be selected for our second Takeoff cohort.

Every institution must have a six-person team comprised of at least one student, one cabinet-level administrator, and one full-time faculty member who has been at the institution five or more years. All six team members will be required to attend an in-person kickoff in Los Angeles on August 3-6, 2025. We will cover all travel expenses; these costs will not be charged to the institutions’ grants.

In addition to $75,000 grants to each of the 15 four-year institutions, every student team member will receive a $2,000 stipend to incentivize their participation and support their basic needs.