Issue Brief: Focus on Healthy Communities

This brief examines how family and community issues affect boys and young men of color and was prepared for the "Investing in Boys and Young Men of Color: The Promise and Opportunity" briefing held on June 11, 2014 in Washington, DC. The brief includes data providing the national context, promising program models, and strategies for moving forward.

• Nationally, Native-American children are three times more likely than whites to live in families where the head of household does not hold a high school diploma, while Asian/Pacific Islander and African-American children are twice as likely. Parental education is highly correlated with household income and family instability. Tweet
• Thirty percent of black children and 28 percent of Native-American children live in concentrated poverty. Incidents of crime and violence are far more prevalent in communities with concentrated poverty. Tweet
• Young men of color suffer murder at disproportionate rates. In 2012, 63 percent of murder victims ages 13 to 24 were African American, with the majority being male. Tweet
• Communities that are structured for the success of vulnerable youth engage a wide range of stakeholders, look to meet their needs holistically, and adapt successful practices to the specific context of neighborhoods. Tweet