Black Men in College are Suffering in Silence

The Problem We Can’t Ignore

In recent years, conversations around mental health have become increasingly visible across college campuses. Yet for Black male college students, these conversations often fall short—leaving them unheard, unsupported, and underserved. At Saving Space, we are working to change that.

Despite overall decreases in suicide rates across the United States, suicide has become the third leading cause of death for Black males—a startling public health crisis. Even as awareness of mental health grows, only 35.2% of African American male college students access on- or off-campus mental health services. The barriers are not only about access, but about belonging, understanding, and trust.

Mental illness—especially when untreated—can drastically impact academic performance, retention, and graduation rates. For Black male students, this is further compounded by what researchers call racial battle fatigue and Black misandry—the compounded psychological toll of being hyper-surveilled, misjudged, and made to feel invisible in predominantly white campus spaces.

What’s Missing from Mental Health on Campus

Most college counseling centers offer valuable services—individual and group counseling, crisis support, assessments, and referrals. But even the best-intentioned services often fail to address the cultural and identity-based needs of Black male students.

Too often, these services assume a “one-size-fits-all” model. They may lack cultural competency, representation, or the frameworks necessary to understand how Black male students experience mental health stigma differently. The field of psychology itself—still majority white—has contributed to these gaps through historical exclusion, implicit bias, and structural blind spots.

As a result, many Black men on campus feel they are being symbolized rather than supported. Public shows of solidarity—whether through campus diversity statements or protest slogans—don’t always translate to tangible, empathetic mental health care.

Our Vision: Identity-Based, Peer-Led Healing

Saving Space was born to offer something different. We create peer-led, identity-based healing spaces designed specifically for Black male college students. Our approach draws on African-centered therapeutic frameworks, including traditions like the Sawubona Healing Circles and Ntu psychotherapy, which emphasize collectivism, spiritual connection, and cultural authenticity.

Our bi-weekly healing circles are more than therapy—they are spaces of affirmation, truth-telling, and solidarity. We partner with campus counseling centers, student organizations, and culturally competent clinicians to deliver care that speaks to the real, lived experiences of Black men in higher education.

Research shows that this approach works. According to Gallup (2023), 37% of Black students credit mental health care as a key reason they were able to continue their education—compared to just 28% of their peers. When mental health care is culturally relevant and identity-affirming, its impact deepens.

Why This Work Matters Now

We believe that mental health support must go beyond crisis intervention. It must be preventative, culturally grounded, and community-centered. And it must actively dismantle the structures—academic, social, and psychological—that have long failed Black men.

At Saving Space, we don’t just make room for healing—we center it. Our goal is not only to improve mental health outcomes, but to help Black male students reclaim their sense of worth, belonging, and possibility.

This is just the beginning. In the coming posts, we’ll dive deeper into the experiences of students, the impact of our programs, and the future of mental health on campus. We invite you to learn with us, support us, and join the movement to create a more just and affirming world for Black male students.