Strengthening Children, Youth and Families

Youth of Color

Youth in high poverty communities face significant obstacles. Our work explores the depth of the disadvantaged youth problem in some of the nation's most challenged communities, with particular emphasis on youth of color. We highlight data on youth risk and outcomes in poor communities, elevate sound policy changes to benefit this population, and help communities to take advantage of opportunities at the federal and state level to expand and coordinate services.

Keeping youth on track and broadening their future opportunities requires flexible federal and state policies, adequate funding to meet immense need, and a community-wide approach to implementation that is attentive to the varied needs of a heterogeneous population. Young males of color, in particular, need targeted supports that are both robust and culturally relevant. Establishing a common goal for all youth and coordinating resources and systems to support all aspects of their development will put more young people on a path to solid education, meaningful careers, and eventual self-sufficiency. Being intentional about strategies to successfully reach and serve youth of color ensures that the system meets the needs of all youth in the community equitably.

In Focus

Investing in Boys and Young Men of Color: The Promise and Opportunity

The path to adulthood can be especially difficult for many middle- and high-school-aged young men of color. They are more likely to grow up in poverty, live in unsafe neighborhoods, and go to under-resourced schools—all of which affect their lifelong health and well-being. What is at stake for America is the possibility of losing an entire generation of productive men who will fall short of their potential, live less healthy lives, and fail to build and strengthen their communities.

In 2011, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) created the Forward Promise initiative within its Vulnerable Populations Portfolio to place a strategic emphasis on the needs of middle school- and high school-aged young men of color. RWJF’s goal is to strengthen educational opportunities, pathways to employment, and health outcomes for these young men.

CLASP worked with RWJF to conduct a scan of issues facing boys and young men of color in the areas of education, health, and pathways to employment. The goal of the scan was to understand both the barriers and opportunities in this work in order to make an informed decision about where to place resources to best influence outcomes for boys and young men of color. The results of the scan are available in our brief, “Investing in Boys and Young Men of Color: The Promise and Opportunity.”

From the scan came eight key ideas for investing in boys and young men of color:

Recommendation #1: Promote school discipline approaches that address behavioral problems without pushing students out of school

Recommendation #2: Increase the use of data to target interventions to boys of color at risk for dropping out of school

Recommendation #3: Expand opportunities for young men of color to work, learn, and develop career-enhancing skills

Recommendation #4: Elevate the importance of a “caring adult” in policy and programmatic efforts to re-engage out-of-school males

Recommendation #5: Provide options for out-of-school males to attain a secondary credential with pathways to postsecondary education

Recommendation #6: Increase the cultural competency of health professionals and educators who work with boys and young men of color

Recommendation #7: Change the philosophy and culture of how youth systems provide services to youth experiencing violence and trauma

Recommendation #8: Increase access to health care services for boys and young men of color