ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how author's family and mentors influenced his decision to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It also describes the experiences studying issues of race and racism at Morgan State University and the support Black faculty and graduate students provided. When the author started the studies at Morgan, conducted research of how issues of race and racism impacted the lived realities, schooling, and mathematics education of Black students in West Baltimore community. Later in academic career at a colloquium, the author was conversing with two senior Black scholars, and was advised not to conduct research of race and racism until he got tenure. In author's view, it is important for Black graduate students to conduct research of race and racism and other important topics as doctoral students because dissertations serve as the foundation for the development of your research agenda.
