The Crisis

 

Nearly every indicator of economic, social, and physical well-being shows that African American men and boys in the United States face disproportionate challenges to success. Consider the following:

 

• Financial: Nearly 25% of young Black men are living in poverty.

• Education: In 2021, 76% of African American male students graduated high school, compared to 87% of their white counterparts.  Additionally, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 36% of Black male students completed a bachelor's degree within six years, and 52% of Latino male students completed theirs within the same time. White males graduated at a rate of 63% in six years.

• Employment: According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January 2024, the unemployment rate for black men was 5.3% compared to 3.3% for white men.

• Family: African American fathers are more than twice as likely as white fathers to live apart from their children.

• Violence: For the period 2015-2019, the homicide victimization rate for Black males was 32.32 per 100,000.

• Interaction with Law Enforcement: Young black men between ages 15-34 are nine times more likely than other Americans to be killed by police officers.

• Justice: In 2017, 6% of Black males were in the corrections system (prison, jail, probation, or parole), compared to 3% of Hispanic males and 1% of white males.