As early as elementary school, African American students are labeled and passed along from teacher to teacher with negative stigma and stereotypes (Wright, 2018). This negative academic self-concept adversely affects and shapes a deficit lens rather than a strength-based perspective and may further perpetuate trauma, mirroring the disproportionate inequities within education (Banks, 2017; Wright, 2018). The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore how African American males identified as having specific learning dis/abilities understand their triple consciousness and what particular experiences influence their post-high school decisions (Stake, 2006). The study investigated the multidimensional lived experiences of eight African American male high school seniors identified as having specific learning dis/abilities. The findings redrew the generalizations of DuBois\u27s (1903) double consciousness as a new perspective of awareness and critical consciousness for students with multidimensional identities that are interdependent of race and ability (Annamma & Morrison, 2018). The conceptual framework of triple consciousness was used to guide the study and recognize the varied lived experiences, influences, and self-awareness of an individual with multidimensional identities
