Despite research on the educational experiences of Black male nontraditional students, limited inquiry is specific to how they understand, perceive, and make sense of those encounters. This qualitative study focused on the educational experiences of Black male nontraditional students at a predominantly White institution. An Afrocentric paradigm was the study's cultural framework for addressing how the Black men in this study made meaning of their experiences. The Afrocentric paradigm indicates the importance of location in one's cultural center and presents African agency as a means of understanding the authentic lived experiences and realities of people of African descent. This study consisted of a field observation of an adult student orientation program, focus groups, and individual interviews with eight Black male students to address the primary research question: How do Black male nontraditional students make meaning of their educational experiences within a predominantly White institution? The findings suggest that adult learning theories have not adequately addressed the educational experiences of Black male nontraditional students. Conversely, the principles of the Afrocentric paradigm are appropriate cultural lenses for understanding the experiences unaddressed by traditional mainstream adult learning theories. Through their narratives, the participants shared their educational experiences in a space of presence rather than absence, thus presenting their rich interpretations of their experiences as Black male nontraditional students. The findings showed that companionship with faculty and fellow students had value and practice in the advocacy of others. In addition, the participants' experiences included how they evaluated institutional support and made decisions in their best interests. This study was a foundation for using cultural theoretical frameworks to address the educational experiences of ethnically diverse nontraditional students with alternative ways of knowing not addressed by traditional adult learning theories. This study included recommendations providing more inclusive levels of institutional support and services for Black male nontraditional students.
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