Exploring the Reagan administration's neoconservative public policies influence on African American males' educational and life outcomes

This study examined the influences of President Ronald Reagan's administration's neoconservative public policies and color-blind strategy on the educational and life outcomes of African American males who attended high school between 1981 and 1989. The study investigated how public policies devoid of a race-conscious or equity-based approach impacted the educational, employment and criminal justice outcomes of African American males. This interpretative case study was designed using a critical race theory framework to address the following research question: What influence did the implementation of Ronald Reagan's administration's neoconservative public policies have on the educational, employment and criminal justice system experiences of African American males who attended high school during the Reagan era [1981--1989]? Purposive criterion sampling was used to select the participants for this study from southeastern and northeastern states. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 African American males who attended high school during the Reagan era [1981--1989].The following four themes emerged from the data: 1) Systems of support vs. Institutional racism, 2) Post-High School Aspirations: Getting a Job; Joining the Service; or Going to College, 3) Dealing with the Criminal Justice System, and 4) Attitudes and Perspectives on Life Outcomes. The findings suggest that neoconservative public policies that stemmed from a color-blind framework were an influential factor in the experiences and life outcomes of the African American male participants in the study. In addition, systems of support emerged as a pivotal factor in the participants' ability to mitigate the impact of neoconservative policies that disregarded the influence of race on life outcomes. The study concludes with implications for policy makers and educators and includes recommendations for future research.