Oct 01, 2015

Brookings Institution;

In this paper, Fredrick C. Harris lauds many of the goals of My Brother's Keeper, a White House initiative whose purpose is to combat the difficult social conditions facing minority boys and young men in the United States, while also suggesting that it may fall short of its goals given its misplaced emphasis on character building. Human capital development and behavior-altering strategies will not succeed, Harris argues, unless policies are put in place which will dismantle the marginalization of poor and working-class minority youth. In fact, says Harris, much of rhetoric about personal responsibility -- touted by President Obama at events including the unveiling of the My Brother's Keeper initiative -- does not match reality and only reinforces existing stereotypes about black men, particularly as fathers.

Mar 01, 2015

Journal of the American Medical Association;

How can clinicians help address existing health disparities and add to positive outcomes for young African-American men? The authors argue that, first, advocacy efforts are needed for public health and social supports to achieve health improvements at scale. Second, the advantages medical care can provide -- such as reducing disparities in HIV, cardiovascular disease, and mental health -- should be strengthened.

Jul 09, 2013

Frontline Solutions;

"A Gathering of Leaders 2013" was a three-day conference convening 200 social change leaders working to improve opportunities for boys and men of color. This report is a follow-up to the conference, highlighting the insights, recommendations, victories, struggles, and lessons learned of participants.

Jun 14, 2013

Lindy Boggs National Center for Community Literacy;

This paper includes a review of the literature on why fathers matter and statistical data on fathers in New Orleans, followed by stategies for educators, service providers, policymakers, and others to engage and support fathers. Six model programs are highlighted, which successfully address the challenges faced by low-income African-American fathers in New Orleans.

Jun 01, 2013

Urban Institute;

The controversial 1965 Moynihan report focused on the roots of black poverty in the U.S. and the decline of the black nuclear family. This report examines the state of black families today, gauging how their circumstances have changed since the 1960s and how they compare with other racial and ethnic groups.

Oct 31, 2011

Opportunity Agenda;

Presents a review of literature that looks at how media representations affect the lives of black men and boys, as well as analyses of public opinion research on race, implications for promoting black male achievement, and black men's media consumption.

Dec 09, 2010

Twenty-First Century Foundation;

The 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys' vision is a world where black men are on equal footing with the rest of American society in the areas of education; employment and wealth; health; fatherhood and families; and justice, rights, responsibilities, and opportunities. This report sets forth a strategy to raise awareness, create local impact, and advance better policies to achieve this goal.

Oct 01, 2010

Thinking Man Consulting;

This paper analyzes the findings of a survey taken by over 300 organizations across the U.S. who engage in male-focused programs and initiatives. It discusses the organizational capacity of the survey respondents, services they provide, demographic groups they serve, and geographic areas they support.

Apr 01, 2010

Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Race, Ethnicity and Diversity, University of California, Berkeley School of Law;

This chapter in "Changing Places: How Communities Will Improve the Health of Boys of Color" explores philanthropy's response to the crisis among black young men and boys. Since 1990, overall funding has fluctuated significantly and failed to reach necessary levels. In addition, there are low levels of investment among "new" philanthropists who entered the field after 1980. The authors offer recommendations to overcome these barriers.

Feb 01, 2010

Twenty-First Century Foundation;

Drawn from a broad research scan and interviews with key leaders, this survey documents the practices, strategies, and achievements of the black male commissions, government agencies created to improve the status and well-being of black men and boys.

Oct 01, 2009

Bouchet and Associates Strategic Consulting; JustPartners, Inc.;

Beginning with a summary of the history of public policy contributions to poverty and racial inequity in America, the report describes how this context impacts black fathers, and how their circumstances and choices in turn affect black children. It concludes with an overview of the Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act of 2009 (which subsequently died and was re-introduced in 2011 and 2013).

Jan 15, 2009

RAND Corporation;

The California Endowment commissioned this report to highlight the most glaring inequities in socioeconomics, health, safety, and education faced by African-American and Latino men and boys in the state. In addition to presenting the statistics on these indicators, the authors outline a framework for addressing the disparities at the individual, community, and macro levels.

Jun 29, 2008

ABFE - A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities;

Based on a survey of 24 foundations distributing 120 grants for black men and boys, the report analyzes foundation and grant characteristics, provides implications for philanthropy, and lists the grants used in the dataset.

Apr 01, 2008

Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity;

The Kirwan Institute presents a call to action to close gaps in the literature on African-American males and to move forward with policy solutions based on what is already known. The paper summarizes findings from an extensive literature review, a national advisory board and a national conference, and a project on mapping opportunity.

Feb 01, 2008

Urban Institute;

Fatherhood is crucial to child development and presents challenges to poor unmarried men. Yet services addressing these problems are not highly developed or widespread, and program results so far have been mixed. This paper analyzes five programs that support low-income noncustodial fathers and presents takeaway lessons.

Jan 01, 2008

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation;

Using four national surveys, this study explores relationships between the academic success of African-American males and a host of variables -- personal and emotional factors, family factors, social and environmental factors, and school factors. Overall, the research points to the benefits of education policies that promote "healthy, safe and supportive learning environments."