Summary
In 2010, we named the crisis facing Black men and boys across five domains: education, employment and wealth, health, fatherhood and families, and justice. The data was stark. Since that time, there have been important gains. Graduation rates have risen. Youth incarceration has declined. New models for community investment and school-based support systems have taken root. Public discourse has shifted — briefly — to acknowledge systemic racism as a structural, not personal, failing. Yet progress has not been linear, nor universal. For every area of improvement, a new or resurgent threat emerges. For every child who makes it, too many are still left behind.
This report is more than a documentation of disparities. It is a call to action. And it is directed to all sectors with the power to shape outcomes
“Dehumanization is not abstract. It shows up in school policies, law enforcement practices, housing segregation, and the racial wealth gap.“
“One of the most critical insights since 2010 has been the growing recognition of the deep importance of intersectionality.”
“Across all sectors, we must embrace a new standard — one that does not tolerate symbolic gestures in place of systemic change.”
Takeaways
- Data shows that half of Black boys were not graduating from high school on time.
- Black men with college degrees earned less than white men with only high school diplomas.
- Life expectancy for Black men lagged more than a decade behind the national average.
- Philanthropy must fund long-term, Black-led work that is healing-centered and community-defined. Policy experts and legislators must commit to race- and gender-explicit policymaking that recognizes the unique experiences of Black men and boys. Nonprofit leaders and practitioners must build programs that do not just “serve” Black boys but partner with them.
Deepening the Work: Our Dreams Won’t Be Deferred Webinar Series
This recorded webinar series offers an opportunity to engage more deeply with the themes and recommendations of Our Dreams Won’t Be Deferred. Each session features experts and community leaders reflecting on the data, sharing lived experience, and identifying pathways for action across multiple systems impacting Black men and boys.
