This qualitative phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of persisting as described by ten African American men in persisting in a community college program. The primary research question was: "How do African American males describe their lived experiences of persisting in community college health and public programs?" African American men are perceived as the most disengaged population in higher education (Harper, 2009). Support in the classroom is vital. Educators and administrators in community colleges could benefit from information from college persistence experiences to assist in improved retention of African American males particularly in health and/or public safety programs. According to Tinto's Student Retention Theory (1993) "involvement with one's peers and with the faculty, both inside and outside the classroom, is itself positively related to the quality of student effort and in turn, learning and persistence" (p.71). Tinto's model also illustrated that if a student has a lower level of social and academic integration into the academic and social communities of the college, then the possibility of withdrawal increases. The findings from this study do not align with the idea that social and academic integration is imperative for college success. African American males in this study came to understand and develop adaptive philosophies as motivation to persist in a college environment that was isolating.

Key words: Persistence, Retention, Community Colleges, African American males