EngageBlackMen
Black males only represent 5% of the U.S. population.
Over 50% of all Black youth live in single-parent households
One out of three Black males is either incarcerated, on parole, or has a previous criminal record.
Black males are 100 times more likely to be in prison than graduate from college.
50% of Black men in major cities have spent some time in prison.
If all the Black males in prison lived in the same city,
that city would be the thirteenth largest city in the United States.
In 1999, Black men were 8.2 times more likely
to spend time in prison than their white counterparts.
Of the Black males born in the 1990s,
28.5% will spend time in prison, compared to 4.4% of whites.
Nearly 60% of Black men who do not graduate from high school
spend time in prison, compared to 5% of whites
1.8 million of the 4.7 felons and ex-felons who cannot vote is Black.
If the Black felons could vote and voted Democrat—seven recent Senatorial elections,
16 states, 17 swing states, and 500,000 extra votes could be decided, in addition to one million felons in Florida where Bush only beat Gore by about 600 votes.
Bush won the U.S. popular vote by a mere 200,000 votes.
Over 50% of Black male high school students want to be professional athletes.
43% to 66% of Black high school athletes believe their first jobs will be as a professional athlete. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 25% to 30% of high school senior football and basketball players leave high school functionally illiterate. In the words of
Richard Lapchick, “What have we prepared them to do?”
Only one out of 700,000 athletes proceed on to the pro level.
The average time a professional player spends in the pros is only 3 and a half years.
In the mid 1970s, Black males where 60% more likely to obtain a doctoral degree than Black women. In 2002, Black males where 60% less likely than Black women to obtain a doctoral degree.
Have you talked to a Black male today about life, education, and/or life opportunities? Please wake up and do your part!
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