Summary
Boys and young men of color continue to face the challenges of living in impoverished communities, attending under-resourced schools, enduring violence and trauma, and lacking job prospects. These early disadvantages affect their prospects, health, and life expectancy.
“Families of color face obstacles—bureaucratic, financial, cultural, and geographical—in accessing quality early childhood education.”
“Trauma and violence disproportionately burden boys and young men of color who suffer from toxic stress imposed by chronic poverty, racism, unconscious bias, and brutality at the hands of police.”
“Public policies and philanthropic investments can provide young men with early work skills and meaningful credentials and help them gain access to employment opportunities and careers.”
Takeaways
- Increase the number of children in licensed childcare programs, as this sets an important educational foundation and helps improve their reading proficiency.
- End the disproportionate school expulsion and suspension of boys of color. Instead, support educators in managing classroom behaviors and addressing their intentional and unintentional biases.
- Institute effective dropout prevention strategies, such as encouraging school-community collaborations, creating safe learning environments, and cultivating family engagement.
- Advocate for the LGBTQI+ community, as they are more likely to become victims of bullying, violence, and crime.