Commission on African American Men and Boys
African American men and boys face many challenges in the United States. Historically, there has been a significant gap between African American males and the rest of society. The statistics are staggering and represent a compelling reason for these matters to be addressed on local, regional, and national levels. As noted in Raymond A. Winbush’s book The Warrior Method: A Program for Rearing Healthy Black Boys (Amistad Press, 2001):
- The life expectancy of African American males in Washington, D.C. is 57.3 years. Only seven other nations in the world have a lower life expectancy for their male population: Bangladesh (53.5), Ethiopia (51.5), Myanmar (54.5), Pakistan (56.5), Sudan (53.0), Tanzania (52.5), and Zaire (54.0).
- A black male has a 1 in 20 chance of being imprisoned while in his twenties.
- A black male has a 1 in 2 chance of not attending college even if he graduates from high school.
- A black male has a 1 in 3,700 chance of getting a Ph.D. in mathematics, engineering, or the natural sciences.
- A black male has a 1 in 766 chance of becoming an attorney.
- A black male has a 1 in 395 chance of becoming a physician.
The Commission on African American Men and Boys (AAMB) aims to face these and other challenges and progress toward a solution. This project has several objectives: to make appropriate use of a comprehensive understanding of the needs of African American men and boys in the US; to make appropriate use of knowledge of programs intended to deal with the issues of AAMB, to provide a framework for action, and to act within a coalition of strategically selected individuals and institutions.
Morgan State University, working with the National Forum and other education and policy partners, will oversee the planning, development, and implementation of a meeting of AAMB leaders that will be organized with the goal of building a sustained coalition effort to address the challenges faced by African American Men and Boys in the United States. From this meeting, a report will be written that identifies the strategic options that key organizations in the private and public sectors can use to respond to the issues affecting this significant and important population.
Theme in Action & Research: Diversity