“I Had to Figure It All Out”: A Critical Study of African American Men Navigating Cultural Identity and Inequity in Higher Education

African American men continue to face structural and cultural barriers within predominantly White institutions (PWIs), shaping access, belonging, and academic persistence. This qualitative study examines how 12 African American men enrolled in 2- and 4-year colleges across Wisconsin make meaning of their educational experiences as they navigate cultural identity and institutional inequities. Guided by an educational equity framework and an interpretive-phenomenological design, the study draws on semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to explore how identity, place, and structure intersect to influence opportunity. Findings show that cultural identity functions as both motivation and tension within racialized campus environments. Participants described cultural isolation, financial strain, and limited navigational capital as significant challenges. At the same time, cohort-based pre-college access programs served as countervailing structures that fostered a sense of belonging and academic success. Centering students’ lived interpretations, the study demonstrates that disparities reflect institutional design rather than individual deficits and calls for equity-driven, culturally responsive policies that support African American men in higher education.