why BBOD?
The most compelling case behind the vulnerability of black boys in school comes
from these selected findings collected by the Schott Foundation.
Expulsions and Suspensions: Consisting of only 8.6 percent of public school enrollments, black boys represent 22 percent of students expelled school and 23 percent of students suspended.
Dropouts: Between 25 percent and 30 percent of America’s teen-agers fail
to graduate from high school with a regular high-school diploma. That figure
climbs to over 50 percent for black male students in many U.S. cities.
Special Education: Studies have found that black students nationwide are 2.9 times as likely as whites to be designated as mentally retarded. They also have been found to be 1.9 times as likely to be designated as having an emotional problem and 1.3 times as likely to have a learning disability. Since twice as many black boys are in special education programs as black girls, it is difficult to blame heredity or home environments as the root causes for these figures. In some metropolitan districts, 30 percent of black males are in special education classes, and of the remaining 70 percent, only half or fewer receive diplomas.Graduation: While 61 percent of black females, 80 percent of whitemales and 86 percent of white females receive diplomas with their high school cohorts nationally, only 50 percent of black males do so.
Juvenile Incarceration: One hundred and five of every 100,000 white males under 18 are incarcerated. That figure is three times as high for black youth at 350 per 100,000. Also, more black males receive the GED in prison graduate from college. Unemployment: Nearly 25 percent of black youths 16 to 19 were neither employed nor in school, according to the 2000 census, nearly twice the national average for this age group and six times the national unemployment rate
Black Boys of Distinction recognizes the necessity of responding to the plight of young black males. The statistics reflecting the disparity between black boys and other segments of our community in illiteracy, high school dropouts, unemployment, criminal arrest, and subsequent incarceration spells a bleak future not only for the black males but their families and the community at large. We are aware that these statistics have an exponential effect on many indicators of the community’s future safety, well-being and prosperity.
Black Boys of Distinction is a community led organization, developed in direct response to this challenge. It is a proactive, action-oriented organization that aims to provide black boys with educational opportunity, valuable life skills, and the self-esteem, confidence and determination to succeed. All these qualities are essential if they are to overcome disadvantages and make the most of their formative and adult years. We believe that raising black boy's awareness of the barriers which many of them face, and empowering them with strategies for overcoming those barriers, will pay dividends to the boys not only
throughout their years at school but throughout their adult years too.
BBOD seeks to expand its services to parents and youth through a community-school partnership and in collaboration with other community organizations and businesses.
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