This Brookings article argues that “Breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty for black Americans requires a transformation in the economic outcomes for black men, particularly in terms of earnings.”
“Black Americans born poor are much less likely to move up the income ladder than those in other racial groups, especially whites. Why? Many factors are at work, including educational inequalities, neighborhood effects, workplace discrimination, parenting, access to credit, rates of incarceration, and so on.”
Read this NYTimes article that finds that “Black boys raised in America, even in the wealthiest families and living in some of the most well-to-do neighborhoods, still earn less in adulthood than white boys with similar backgrounds, according to a sweeping new study that traced the lives of millions of children.”
Read this report by Black Minds Project that finds that although the Black male student suspension rate decreased 5 percent between 2011-12, racial disparities still remain.
We’re thrilled to announce the release of the 2017 edition of Quantifying Hope: Philanthropic Support for Black Men and Boys.
Amidst current racial tensions in the United States and the ever-shifting social and political landscape, the report analyzes foundation funding explicitly targeted to improve the life outcomes of Black men and boys. The report also examines strategies and milestones in the field of Black male achievement and how philanthropy can build on this work for stronger coordination and greater impact.
This report is jointly produced by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement and Foundation Center.
Read ABFE’s latest report, Beyond Plight: Defining Pathways to Optimal Development for Black Men and Boys across the Life Course.
The observations and recommendations within Beyond Plight were based upon input from funders and practitioners who have invested resources and brain power into better outcomes for Black men and boys – some for their entire professional careers.
Follow coverage of a John Hopkins University study released in March that showed “low-income black students randomly assigned to at least one black teacher are more likely to graduate from high school and aspire to college. The researchers tracked through high school all 100,000 students who entered 3rd grade in North Carolina between 2001 and 2005. The results were especially profound in the early years: Having just one black teacher during grades 3-5 increases ‘persistently low-income’ black boys’ interest in pursuing college by 29 percent and decreases their chance of dropping out of high school by 39 percent.” This article highlights the inspirational work of Stephen Flemming, a black male teacher adored by his students.
Read RISE for Boys and Men of Color’s publication, Advancing Culturally Responsive Evaluations for Boys and Men of Color. While BMOCs are the targets of many social programs and interventions, a dearth of high-quality culturally responsive evaluations exist on the effectiveness of various gender- and population-specific approaches for BMOCs to achieve measurable results.
Read this research brief on how race and ethnicity contribute to negative outcomes for LGBTQ youth of color – particularly for gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) boys and young men of color. The brief attempts to highlight the research that has been conducted on this topic, as well as the research gaps that remain.
Read this NPR post on Vera’s approach to help men of color heal after a violent incident. To reach as many young men of color as possible, Vera’s Center on Youth Justice is using an unusual corps of researchers: the young men themselves. The Institute is currently interviewing young men of color, age 18 to 24, from neighborhoods across the city to form an eight-man research team that will spend the next year conducting 150 interviews with other young men of color, age 18 to 24. The research team will even be involved in analyzing the data so the Vera Institute can publish the findings.
Read this latest report from IZA Institute of Labor Economics that shows how assigning a Black male to a Black teacher in third, fourth, or fifth grades significantly reduces the probability that he drops out of high school, particularly among the most economically disadvantaged Black males.