Interesting...
Posted on 07/14/2008 5:37:30 AM PDT by Lumbertonman
Congressional Leaders, Scholars Gather to Strategize on Black Male Issues
by Jamal Watson
NEW YORK — For the third consecutive year, more than a 1,000 academics, activists and political leaders gathered in New York on Friday to strategize on the problems that beset young Black males.
The gathering, which was convened by Charles J. Ogletree, who teaches and directs the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard University’s Law School, is part of “The Pipeline Crisis/Winning Strategies Initiative,” a national effort aimed at identifying ways to tackle the many barriers that limit the number of young Black men in the pipeline to higher education and professional endeavors.
Ogletree’s initiative calls on the legal, financial services and business communities to partner with the public sector to address the needs of young Black men in five target areas: early childhood education, public school education, employment and economic development, criminal justice, prison reform and re-entry, and opportunities for high potential youth.
At the symposium, held at the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, Congressman Charles B. Rangel and Congressman Jerrold Nadler said that government could do more to address the issue. But private companies, like American Express, Goldman Sachs & Co., and the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, have also pledged dollars and support services toward providing young Black men additional educational and career opportunities to help them succeed.
“The numbers are staggering,” says Ogletree, in an interview with Diverse. “It’s a disgrace that we live in a society where the rate of failure has not been stemmed.”
The statistics are alarming and there is little evidence that the overall situation for young Black men is improving. The U.S. Census Bureau currently estimates there are about 5 million Black men in America between the ages of 20 and 39, but many scholars say that this demographic is losing ground in mainstream American society, despite advances made by Black women. They argue that the problems for many Black men often begin when they are boys.
Yet, despite the setbacks, Ogletree — one of the country’s most prominent legal scholars — says that there are also many efforts aimed at reversing this trend.
He points to a program created at Bard College by Dr. Leon Botstein — who was honored at the symposium — for his work in spearheading the Bard Prison Initiative, a program that provides college education to inmates in New York’s prisons. Botstein has long argued that college-in-prison programs slash rates of re-incarceration, particularly among Black males.
But over the past two decades, many of these programs — which were once publicly funded — have been severely cut or eliminated altogether. In New York, for example, the Abyssinian Development Corporation — a nonprofit that was started by Abyssinian Baptist Church — had to step up where government fails and is helping young homeless Black men become homeowners.
“We can’t just keep citing the statistics,” says Ogletree. “We have to work to give Black and brown men a second chance and provide them with the opportunity to work and earn a decent pay.”
With the presidential election just four months away, Ogletree and others say that they are looking to the presumptive presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, to address the crisis facing young Black men as they barnstorm the country for votes.
“We’re sending very clear messages to both camps that it’s important that we help to open up new opportunities, create new challenging jobs, and provide educational opportunities to our young men,” says Ogletree, who is supporting Obama. Obama was one of his former students at Harvard.
In addition to Botstein, Dr. Roland G. Fryer, who is the Chief Equality Officer for the New York City Department of Education, was honored for his work in executing the New York Million Motivation Campaign, a pilot program that seeks to help high-need students internalize the connections between education and success. Participants in the campaign received a free Samsung U740 handheld cell phone and earn text messages, talk time, and other rewards, such as free ring tones, music downloads, or event tickets through their performance in school.
“I’m grateful for this honor and gratified that it comes as we continue to develop strategies to re-brand achievement, helping high-need students fully appreciate the value of education,” Fryer said. “This recognition is a great sign that more people are willing to join our fight to end the educational crisis plaguing African-American and Hispanic communities.”
by Jamal Watson
NEW YORK — For the third consecutive year, more than a 1,000 academics, activists and political leaders gathered in New York on Friday to strategize on the problems that beset young Black males.
The gathering, which was convened by Charles J. Ogletree, who teaches and directs the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard University’s Law School, is part of “The Pipeline Crisis/Winning Strategies Initiative,” a national effort aimed at identifying ways to tackle the many barriers that limit the number of young Black men in the pipeline to higher education and professional endeavors.
Ogletree’s initiative calls on the legal, financial services and business communities to partner with the public sector to address the needs of young Black men in five target areas: early childhood education, public school education, employment and economic development, criminal justice, prison reform and re-entry, and opportunities for high potential youth.
At the symposium, held at the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, Congressman Charles B. Rangel and Congressman Jerrold Nadler said that government could do more to address the issue. But private companies, like American Express, Goldman Sachs & Co., and the law firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, have also pledged dollars and support services toward providing young Black men additional educational and career opportunities to help them succeed.
“The numbers are staggering,” says Ogletree, in an interview with Diverse. “It’s a disgrace that we live in a society where the rate of failure has not been stemmed.”
The statistics are alarming and there is little evidence that the overall situation for young Black men is improving. The U.S. Census Bureau currently estimates there are about 5 million Black men in America between the ages of 20 and 39, but many scholars say that this demographic is losing ground in mainstream American society, despite advances made by Black women. They argue that the problems for many Black men often begin when they are boys.
Yet, despite the setbacks, Ogletree — one of the country’s most prominent legal scholars — says that there are also many efforts aimed at reversing this trend.
He points to a program created at Bard College by Dr. Leon Botstein — who was honored at the symposium — for his work in spearheading the Bard Prison Initiative, a program that provides college education to inmates in New York’s prisons. Botstein has long argued that college-in-prison programs slash rates of re-incarceration, particularly among Black males.
But over the past two decades, many of these programs — which were once publicly funded — have been severely cut or eliminated altogether. In New York, for example, the Abyssinian Development Corporation — a nonprofit that was started by Abyssinian Baptist Church — had to step up where government fails and is helping young homeless Black men become homeowners.
“We can’t just keep citing the statistics,” says Ogletree. “We have to work to give Black and brown men a second chance and provide them with the opportunity to work and earn a decent pay.”
With the presidential election just four months away, Ogletree and others say that they are looking to the presumptive presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, to address the crisis facing young Black men as they barnstorm the country for votes.
“We’re sending very clear messages to both camps that it’s important that we help to open up new opportunities, create new challenging jobs, and provide educational opportunities to our young men,” says Ogletree, who is supporting Obama. Obama was one of his former students at Harvard.
In addition to Botstein, Dr. Roland G. Fryer, who is the Chief Equality Officer for the New York City Department of Education, was honored for his work in executing the New York Million Motivation Campaign, a pilot program that seeks to help high-need students internalize the connections between education and success. Participants in the campaign received a free Samsung U740 handheld cell phone and earn text messages, talk time, and other rewards, such as free ring tones, music downloads, or event tickets through their performance in school.
“I’m grateful for this honor and gratified that it comes as we continue to develop strategies to re-brand achievement, helping high-need students fully appreciate the value of education,” Fryer said. “This recognition is a great sign that more people are willing to join our fight to end the educational crisis plaguing African-American and Hispanic communities.”
And Jamal never once questioned any of these ‘more tax money will solve all the problems of black males’ cliches.
How many cars will be broken into out in the parking lot while this meeting of the minds takes place?
It’s their culture, stupid. They generally reject any and all expectations placed on them by society. They denounce academic achievement among their own. They deify thug rappers and hip-hoppers. They gleefully impregnate every female in sight and then abandon all responsibility for their actions. And, they are paid from the federal treasury for doing all of this? Thanks LBJ.
Only to the reparations mob.
“Congressional Leaders...Black Male Issues”
...first thought from headline...extortion in Congress? That’s not really news.
...ok...now on to read the article.
everything’s always a “crisis” on liberal-socialists.
more like democrat plantation—school teachers and activists embitter black children against the u.s. and promise them goodies if they vote democrat, which rarely materialize.
A good start would be abandoning rap and hip-hop.
That's easy. When society has no expectations of a person and casts said person in the light of a victim you'll have a person without expectations in life and acting like a victim.
Does that obvious fact really need 1,000 academics, activists and political leaders to figure out?
The true impending crisis is the revolt of working Americans who are expected to pay for all the burdens inflicted on them by an indifferent federal government. E.g., illegal aliens, environmentalism, set-asides.
We’ve been solving the problems of the black community for the last forty years. Bring back “benign neglect”.
The breakins will be in response to the Katrina back-lash on W’s part.(satire) Livig in America can be successful, if one quits playing the infinite victim card of race.
Those who continue to act like thugs and fools need to be deported to a Siberian gulag. They have no place in America, for those who refuse to work, should not eat.
A person’s limitations in life are self induced. I have no use for shiftless/lazy people regardless of race.
This will be a gathering to blame “Whitey” the man for all there self instigated problems in life.
Just another crybaby gathering for the idiots, who are responsible for their own demise.
Straight Up,
NSNR
Not interested. From now on, I’m only concerned about programs that’ll benefit my American kids who are of Italian/Czech stock (Euro). Why don’t liberals themselves pay the tab on this one and let the rest of us take care of our families?
And perhaps requiring self-reliance and accountability...
Failing (and succeeding) is something individuals do, not something "societies" have a "rate" of.
...I’m out of patience with this stuff...they’re only 13% of the population and every time you turn around the MSM is pulling it’s hair out over “black issues”.
....mark my words...the Obama campaign will be another milestone on the road to the coming race war.
For a group who birth children as if they were born to fend for themselves by women who have different fathers for their family units, for the average black male who disappears from the scene and all financial and masculine responsibility which better men do -
—— until they change their lifestyle - nothing will help.
From cradle on they think they are the lesser in society - which in turn gives them excuses to fail at all that society offers them - but which they hesitate to learn and engage themselves because they would not ‘belong’ to the Black Community if they did.
If they want some space to self-govern, I would be all for it. Just stop expecting everyone else to pick up their messes.
I am speaking in generalities here for there are many black families who are responsible for their own familial successes - but we never hear from them - only the thugs who think we all owe them a living while they get stoned or drunk and copulate regularly without a thought to the consequences of their pleasure - a living human being!!
Interesting...
Yawn...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.