From Marginalization to Belonging: A Critical Literature Review of Black Men in Counselor Education

Despite the profession’s commitment to multiculturalism and social justice, Black men are significantly underrepresented in counselor education programs. Although counseling literature has begun to address the experiences of Black students and counselor educators in recent years, the research specific to Black men as students remains scarce. This interdisciplinary critical literature review examines the scholarship on Black men in counselor education programs by centering their voices through the lens of Black Critical Theory to examine how anti-Blackness shapes their experiences. The review highlights salient themes of marginalization, lack of representation and the need for supportive environments. Findings reveal persistent gaps in the literature identifying the need for culturally affirming action-oriented reform in counselor education. Implications for professional and programmatic changes as well as future research are discussed with a call to reimagine counselor education as a space of belonging for Black men.