Georgia State University’s African-American Male Initiative Sponsored by Opportunity Development and Diversity Education Planning The Status of African-American Males in Higher Education and Employment October 26, 2005 Atlanta, Georgia Presented by: Floyd Weatherspoon Professor of Law Capital University Law School 303 E. Broad Street Columbus, OH 43215 http://users.law.capital.edu/weatherspoon/ fweatherspoon@law.capital.edu © Weatherspoon 2005 I. Introduction II. The Status of African-American Males: Criminal Justice A. Racially Profiled African-American Males are disproportionately : Targeted Stopped Searched African-American Males are Racially Profiled while: Schooling Eating Walking Hailing a Taxi Shopping JUST BEING BLACK AND MALE! B. Stopped and Arrested C. Prosecuted D. Sentencing Guidelines E. Incarcerated About 1 in 3 African-American males are expected to go to prison during their lifetime The chances of going to prison are highest among African-American males (32.2%) and lowest among White males (5.9%) Among the more than 1.38 million sentenced inmates at the end of 2002, an estimated 442,00 were Black males between the ages of 20-39. F. Death Penalty 42% of individuals on death row are African-American males. G. Juvenile Justice System III. Status of African-Americans: Social and Economic A. Employment Disproportionately unemployed and underemployed Face race plus gender discrimination Lack mentors Face the “brick ceiling” Lower wages than white males Stereotyped Part-times / Temporary positions Low level positions B. Unemployment C. Discrimination D. Health Care E. Voting Rights IV. African-American Male Students & The Public School System Labeled Stereotyped Ignored Invisible Public Schools Warehouse African-American Males For Placement In The Criminal Justice System A. Graduation Rates of African-American Male Students Michigan 39% Illinois 40% North Carolina 40% Georgia 36% New York 29% Nebraska 38% The graduation rate for African-American males is in a crisis The national graduation rate for African-American males is 41%, whereas it is 71% for White males In some cities the graduation rate for African-American males is less than 30% B. Drop-Out Rates The drop-out rate for African-American males in some high schools is 50% Although over the past 20 years the drop-out rate for African-American males has decreased, it is still high There is a correlation between drop-out and incarceration rates Zero Tolerance policies negatively impact African-American males C. Disproportionate Suspensions and Expulsions Nationally, African-American males represent more than 20% of expulsions, 23% of suspensions , although they represent only 9% of the student population African-American males are disproportionately suspended and expelled even in pre-school and kindergarten In some states, African-American males represent 45% of long-term suspensions and 52% of expulsions D. Exclusion in Honor and College Prep Courses African-American males are less likely than Whites to be identified as “gifted” African-American males are less likely to take honor courses in math and science African-American males are excluded from advance science classes African-American males are subjected to biases that they lack intelligence, motivation and low academic expectations from their teachers. African-American males are ‘tracked” into remedial courses African-American males are absent from honor clubs and academically related student organizations African-American males are intensely recruited to play sports E. Over-Representation in Special Education Classes African-American males are : Disproportionately labeled hyperactive Systematically isolated and segregated in special education classes Segregated within segregated schools Disproportionately graduate with special education diplomas African-American males represent 25% to 40% of students in special education programs F. Enhancing the Status of African-American Males in Elementary and Secondary Schools De-value Sports Develop Programs to Enhance Academics Recruit Participation in Extracurricular Activities, i.e. Chess, Math Club, and Debate Parental Accountability Develop Alternatives to Suspensions Develop Effective Mentoring Programs V. African-American Male Students in Higher Education Average ACT Score for African-American Males Average Grade Point : 2.72 A. College Attendance 18% of African-American men between 20-21 are enrolled in college 36% of African-American women between 20-21 are enrolled in college B. College Graduate Rate Twice as many African-American women receive bachelor’s degrees than African-American men C. Attendance at Professional and Graduate School VI. Employment of African-American Males in Higher Education VII. In Search of Remedies Partnership with Community Groups and Churches Designate a Person Responsible for Developing and Administering an African-American Male Initiative Develop Initiatives for African-American Males at High Schools Develop African-American Males Recruitment Programs in Middles Schools Develop Campus Mentoring Programs Enhance Financial Scholarships for African-American Male Students . Education of African-American Males in Higher Education Develop support programs for gifted African-American males Develop Black Male Initiative at predominantly White colleges Develop Black Male support groups at colleges B. Employment of African-Americans in Higher Education Develop an Educational Fund for Staff and Administrations Succession Planning Career Assessments Mentoring Programs VIII. Conclusion EACH OF US COMMIT TO MENTOR AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALE!