Written by Frank Scruggs
Among the social problems contributing to dismal statistics are racism, a decline of manufacturing jobs, faulty school systems, lack of parenting and other systemic issues that need to be addressed. One perception is that Black men are endangered; often portrayed as criminals, rapists and brutes.
In truth, what are Black men really like? Well, we are sure that ET founder Bob Johnson is a billionaire. Forbes magazine estimates his net worth at $1.1 billion, which may make him the only male African-American billionaire….good news but Johnson is not all Black men. By contrast according to a report by the City Mayors of the U.S. “the number of young, jobless Black men has climbed steadily… by 2004, the number of young, Black male high school dropouts in their 20s unable to find work, no longer looking for work or incarcerated had reached 72%, compared with 34 % of white and 19% of Hispanic dropouts. Even when high school graduates were included, half of Black men in their 20s were jobless in 2004, up from 46 per cent in 2000, according to data compiled by Bruce Western, a sociologist at Princeton.” In addition, according to researchers Harry Holzer, Peter Edelman, and Paul Offner being young and Black are often enough to be denied employment; even when all employment criteria are met. When we talk about Black dropouts in their late 20s, more are in prison on a given day — 34 per cent — than are working — 30 per cent — according to an analysis of 2000 Census data., nearly 50 per cent of all Black men in their late 20s and early 30s are fathers who don’t live with their children.” Sure work is still needed in these areas but as a whole Black men are making progress.
