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Chapter 3

Plight Deepens For Black Men, Studies Warn

Plight Deepens For Black Men, Studies Warn

This activity contains 3 questions.

	In what ways have conditions for Black men worsened in recent years. How do their conditions compare to poor White and Hispanic men?   "With the shift from factory jobs, unskilled workers of all races have lost ground, but none more so than blacks." The share of young black men without jobs has climbed relentlessly... In 2000, 65 percent of black male high school dropouts in their 20's were jobless -- that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72 percent, compared with 34 percent of white and 19 percent of Hispanic dropouts. Even when high school graduates were included, half of black men in their 20's were jobless in 2004, up from 46 percent in 2000. "By 2004, 50 percent of black men in their 20's who lacked a college education were jobless, as were72 percent of high school dropouts...These are more than double the rates for white and Hispanic men." "...new studies...show that the huge pool of poorly educated black men are becoming ever more disconnected from the mainstream society, and to a far greater degree than comparable white or Hispanic men." "Incarceration rates climbed in the 1990's and reached historic highs in the past few years. In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20's who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, 21 percent were incarcerated. By their mid-30's, 6 in 10 black men who had dropped out of school had spent time in prison." "In the inner cities, more than half of all black men do not finish high school... Dropout rates for Hispanic youths are as bad or worse but are not associated with nearly as much unemployment or crime, the data show."

	What personal, structural and environmental factors have been attributed to the plight of Black men by social scientists?   "Joseph T. Jones, director of the fatherhood and work skills center here, puts the breakdown of families at the core." ''Many of these men grew up fatherless, and they never had good role models,'' said Mr. Jones, who overcame addiction and prison time. ''No one around them knows how to navigate the mainstream society.'' The clients readily admit to their own bad choices but say they also fight a pervasive sense of hopelessness. "Terrible schools, absent parents, racism, the decline in blue collar jobs and a subculture that glorifies swagger over work have all been cited as causes of the deepening ruin of black youths. Scholars -- and the young men themselves -- agree that all of these issues must be addressed. " "All the negative trends are associated with poor schooling, studies have shown, and progress has been slight in recent years." Over the last two decades, the economy did great,'' Mr. Mincy said, ''and low-skilled women, helped by public policy, latched onto it. But young black men were falling farther back." ''We're pumping out boys with no honest alternative,'' Mr. Orfield said in an interview, ''and of course their neighborhoods offer many other alternatives.'' "...two factors that have curbed black employment in particular. First, the high rate of incarceration and attendant flood of former offenders into neighborhoods have become major impediments. Men with criminal records tend to be shunned by employers, and young blacks with clean records suffer by association, studies have found. The second special factor is related to an otherwise successful policy: the stricter enforcement of child support. Improved collection of money from absent fathers has been a pillar of welfare overhaul. But the system can leave young men feeling overwhelmed with debt and deter them from seeking legal work, since a large share of any earnings could be seized."

	What programs/policies have been proposed to turn the tide of the plight of Black men?   "The recent studies identified a range of government programs and experiments, especially education and training efforts like the Job Corps, that had shown success and could be scaled up." "They call for teaching skills to prisoners and helping them re-enter society more productively, and for less automatic incarceration of minor offenders." "...programs to help more men enter and succeed in college may hold promise...lamented the dearth of policies and resources to aid single men." "Scholars call for intensive new efforts to give children a better start, including support for parents and extra schooling for children."

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