http://www.clasp.org/issues/topic_in_focus.xml?type=youth&id=0005 In Focus articles from the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) en-us Thu, 23 May 2013 22:58:11 -0500 info@clasp.org webmaster@clasp.org 40 Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0061 This week, President Obama released his Fiscal Year 2014 Budget. This proposal reflects the AdministrationaEUR(TM)s priorities to ensure a world-class education for all students, provide opportunities for employment, and build strong communities. The budget includes several areas of investment that could provide education and employment opportunities for black boys and young men along the age continuum from cradle to career. It also expands supports to low-income communities for revitalization, poverty reduction, increased jobs, and decreased violence. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0061 Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0058 132,000 Black Men and Boys Are Too Precious to Lose By Rhonda Tsoi-A-Fatt Bryant The gun violence issue most keenly affects black men in America. While black males are 6 percent of the United States population, they constitute 48 percent of the homicide victims who die by firearms in our nation. On average, about 4,900 black males are killed with guns every single year. Between 2000 and 2010, 53,850 black males died by firearms in America. Between now and 2025, if we donaEUR(TM)t act, more than 68,600 black males will face the same untimely death. That means, in a single generation, over 132,000 of our nationaEUR(TM)s black men and boys will lose their lives to bullets. The vast majority of these black males that are dying are young. In 2010, more than half of black male homicide victims were between the ages of 13 and 29. Eighty-six percent were under the age of 40. Gun violence in black communities, however, is far bigger than the issue of gun reform and whether tougher gun control laws will reduce access to guns. ItaEUR(TM)s really about concentrated poverty. For black males, issues of gun violence are largely concentrated in distressed neighborhoods within communities. For several decades, these black communities have lacked the infrastructure and resources to make them viable places to live, work, or raise a family. Jobs left these communities decades ago, so employment prospects are few. Their school districts are struggling, and many fail to graduate half of their students each year. Illegal underground markets and gangs have crept into many of these communities, exposing everyone to less safe neighborhoods. The revitalization of some neighborhoods and the return of higher-income residents has pushed long-time low income residents into further concentrated poverty. It should not be surprising to us that crime and violence have been difficult to contain in these communities. The absence of opportunity for education and economic self sufficiency makes growing up in these neighborhoods difficult for young people, in particular young black boys. Often, it breeds anger, resentment and hopelessness. When black boys in these communities have no positive prospects and the future before them is empty, what are they supposed to do? What are their options? Only the most resilient are able to overcome the devastation in their communities and families to graduate from high school, complete college, move forward into careers and stable lives. The vast majority are left to their own demise. Often, the media paints gun violence in black communities as some isolated black-on-black issue that has little relevance for the rest of America. Nothing could be further from the truth. Gun violence, and the ensuing death of young black men, is the ugly byproduct of concentrated poverty and lack of opportunity. Failure to address the issues of concentrated poverty in our communities has implications for the nation as a whole. Lost lives equals lost human capital, lost earning power, and lost innovation. So, when debating gun violence, the biggest issue to be tackled is not how much we control access to automatic weapons or how long of a waiting period we need when someone applies for a license. The biggest issue we face is transforming our most crime-riddled cities into safe, thriving communities where black men and boys have real opportunities to be educated and employed, have the ability to support themselves and their families, and are able to contribute substantially to the growth of their communities and the nation. Read more>> http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0058 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0057 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0057 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0056 Recently, I was on Huff Post Live (a live-streaming program on Huffington Post) with an interesting panel of people discussing whether class defines segregation and poverty in our nation and whether race has lost its relevance. This discussion was based on a blog by Janita Poe on AI.com which asserts that class, not race, is what separates society today. If race were no longer a factor, then the experiences of the poor would not vary along racial lines. In fact, black and white families experience poverty very differently. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0056 Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0051 Today, the Supreme Court is set to hear the high profile Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin (UT) case that will have major implications not just on racial preferences in admissions to public colleges and universities but also on the legacy of affirmative action. The challenge was brought by a white student, Fisher, who claims she was denied admission to UT due to an admissions policy that considers race. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0051 Fri, 03 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0047 Last week, the President issued an Executive Order to establish the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, consisting of a Presidential Advisory Commission and Federal Interagency Working Group to Enhance Educational Outcomes for African American Students. Housed within the U.S. Department of Education, the Initiative is charged with working across federal agencies to identify best practices that will improve educational outcomes for African Americans at all age levels, from early care and education to the successful completion of post-secondary credentials. To support this effort, the Department of Education will develop a national network of partners -- business and philanthropic leaders, practitioners and educators, and non-profits -- to share and implement best practices as well as to support the overall objective outlined in the order. This objective is to ensure African American students aEURoereceive an education that fully prepares them for high school graduation, college completion, and productive careers.aEUR? http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0047 Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0040 On March 29, 2012, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Joseph J. Heck and Rep. Howard P. McKeon introduced the Workforce Investment Improvement Act of 2012 (H.R. 4297), which among other things, consolidates 27 federal programs into a single workforce investment fund, devolves more power and decision making to state and local boards, eliminates many of the requirements and mandates that governed the consolidated streams, and increased the role of employers on state and local boards. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0040 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0035 Research has shown that black middle class gains and narrowing of the black/white income gap have been reversed by the recession. Part of the reason is due to blacks being more harshly affected by the economic downturn than other groups. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0035 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0027 Economic recovery is not occurring for everyone, and those who struggled most to find employment before the economic downturn collectively are worse off today than they were before the recession began. This is most true for the black community. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0027 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0025 President ObamaaEUR(TM)s 2012 budget includes several areas of investment that show great potential for being beneficial to black boys and young men, including investments in education, but it also cuts critical community programs that provide jobs, help reduce poverty and revitalize low-income communities As one of the pillars of the presidentaEUR(TM)s budget, education receives significant funding in ways that have great potential for meeting the academic needs of black boys and young men who, too often, fall through the cracks in our current educational system. The president proposes a new Race to the Top program for school districts funded at $900 million. The original Race to the Top grant program, administered to states, provided grant opportunities to focus on college and workplace standards, build data systems that measure student growth and effective teachers and principals, and turn around lowest-achieving schools. A $150 million Fund of Improvement of Postsecondary Education will be used to increase college access and completion and improve educational productivity. These two programs present an opportunity for districts and postsecondary institutions to create effective dropout recovery approaches to reengage disconnected youth, many of whom are black males. In addition, the president proposes $750 million for two programs that invest in strengthening the impact of school professionals, as well as effective teacher and leader preparation. There is a tremendous need for black male teachers and administrators, and these resources could potentially be used to strengthen the education workforce in this critical way. In addition to these competitive grant programs, the presidentaEUR(TM)s budget maintains a commitment to postsecondary completion for disadvantaged populations. It continues funding support for federal TRIO programs and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). Both of these programs have a track record of providing educational services to low-income black males, as well as black males who are first-generation college students. The budget also includes ongoing funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions, and establishes a new $40 million competitive grant program to improve and expand teacher education programs at minority-serving institutions. All of these investments signal that President Obama understands it is critical to invest in educational infrastructure to secure the nationaEUR(TM)s future. We are, however, cautious about the leaning toward mostly competitive grant making instead of formula funds to states and districts. We are encouraged by the presidentaEUR(TM)s language around attempting to achieve geographic balance in competitive grant making and urge the administration to provide targeted assistance to ensure high-poverty and high-minority schools and districts, can equally participate in competitive grant processes. While investing heavily in education, the presidentaEUR(TM)s budget includes significant cuts for community programs. The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) are two important programs that provide funding to cities and local municipalities to provide critical services such as job creation for youth and adults, poverty reduction, and revitalization of local communities. The combined decrease of these two programs is $650 million, which will undoubtedly be felt most in high-poverty and high-minority communities. Communities will have fewer resources at a time when they are facing drastic budget cuts, more families are struggling, and more individuals are out of work. Other funding such as the Choice Neighborhoods and Promise Neighborhoods, targeted to low-income communities has been built into the budget. These are promising programs but these streams are competitive funds that will reach only a small number of communities across the nation. It is clear that investments in education will contribute greatly to our short- and long-term viability as a nation. However, the effectiveness of educational investments is dependent on strong communities. Youth cannot fully thrive in school if their communities are languishing. In addition, the ability of communities to get disconnected youth on track depends on creatively blending multiple resources that support community-wide partnerships. Reducing investments in communities will eventually diminish the return on the educational investments that are being proposed. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0025 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0023 On Jan. 12, hundreds of stakeholders from the social, political and advocacy arenas met in Washington D.C. and via webcast for the release of a new report, We Dream a World: The 2025 Vision for Black Men and Boys. CLASP hosted the meeting in collaboration with the 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys, as part of CLASP's 40th anniversary policy series, Policy and Promise for Low-Income People in America. The report identifies concrete policy solutions to ensure workforce success, raise educational achievement, reduce health disparities, improve conditions for low-income fathers and improve the overall well being of black men, their families and communities. Participants discussed the need for elevating key issues facing black men and boys in our nation, shared strategies in communities are already making a difference for this population, and encouraged others to get involved. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0023 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0600 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0020 Linda Harris, director of youth policy, and Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, senior policy analyst, co-authored a chapter in the recently published book Changing Places: How Communities Will Improve the Health of Boys of Color. The book aEURoedraws attention to the urgent needaEUR"both economic and moralaEUR"to better understand the policy and community-based factors that serve as opportunities or barriers for young men and boys of color as they make critical life decisions.aEUR? Ms. Harris and Ms. Duke-BenfieldaEUR(TM)s chapter examines why it is essential to invest in access to postsecondary education opportunities for young men of color and to ensure their success. Following is an excerpt from the chapter introduction. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0020 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0017 For the last week or so, we've heard reports about a device to repel teenagers that businesses recently installed near the Gallery Place-Chinatown subway station in downtown Washington D.C. The device, called The Mosquito, emits a high-frequency sound that typically only young people under age 25 can hear. The larger issue at play is that young people in urban communities have few options for positive engagement and entertainment. Youth need safe environments in which to socialize and thrive. Youth development theory has long said that young people need opportunities like civic engagement, formal recreational activities, cultural events, career development and work experience to occupy their time and help them to become well-rounded individuals. In a CNN article on The Mosquito, Judith Sandlow, director of the Children's Law Center said: "This isn't the best solution. We need to have better programs for youth, we need to engage them in activities." http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0017 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0016 Our nation has a great distance yet to travel on the road to true racial equity. In an article in the Aug. 24, 2010, edition of The Root, law professor Sherrilyn A. Ifill discusses the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision to overturn two Alabama juries and find that the use of the term "boy" by a supervisor is not an indicator of discrimination. The decision was deplorable, and I couldn't agree more with Ifill's assessment that we all lose if the courts or some federal judges can't see racism and disallow jurors from doing so as well. Decisions like these have tremendous implications for people of color. While we pretend to live in a color-blind society, particularly since the election of an African American president, the reality is that the actions of many in positions of power and influence in America are rooted in unconscious bias ingrained from generations of prejudiced attitudes and perceptions. America was squarely confronted with this unconscious bias five years ago with the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the blatant mistreatment of poor people and people of color. In Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster, Michael Eric Dyson wrote, "The collective racial unconscious, and the rhythms, relations, and rules of race, together constitute the framework for making decisions, even those that apparently have nothing to do with race." Federal laws and regulations have disparate impact on the poor and people of color. It is time to acknowledge the unconscious bias that exists in our seemingly race-neutral policy-making, and take the time and care needed to consider the impact of each decision on the nation's poor and people of color. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0016 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0014 It is widely understood that adult outcomes are tied to childhood life experiences and family economic circumstances. Improving adult outcomes and ensuring more adults lead productive lives requires addressing childhood poverty, particularly among black children who are more likely than their counterparts to grow up poor. Yet this country, among the world's richest, has one of the highest rates of child poverty in the world. For black children, the rate is exponentially worse. As a result, black children and youth are less likely to graduate high school, finish college, land good jobs or raise children who aren't poor. Sound public policies can, and should, address this. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0014 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0012 At a recent "Working for Change" public policy forum on Capitol Hill, youth experts and advocates, including CLASP and the National Youth Employment Coalition, focused on the urgent need for Congress to intervene and aid disconnected youth. The forum is a monthly meeting of the Community Service Society of New York and the Coalition for Human Needs. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0012 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0008 Across our nationaEUR(TM)s urban centers and in many rural areas, there is hard evidence that we are failing far too many of our nationaEUR(TM)s youth. More than one million young people drop out of high school every year.Policymakers should use ESEA reauthorization as an opportunity to retool the law and to put measures in place to ensure that more of our nationaEUR(TM)s young people earn a high school diploma. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0008 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0001 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is designed to jumpstart our nation's economy, preserve and create jobs, assist those most affected by the recession, and to begin necessary investments in neglected areas such as education, child care, environmental protection, transportation and infrastructure. http://www.clasp.org/issues/in_focus?type=youth&id=0001