Mediaboss Marketing

Lets face it: Black men and boys are one of our nations most endangered species and always have been.

Each time I look at Americas government pinnacles the Capitol, the White House, and National Mall monuments I am reminded of the Black men whose hands built those magnificent structures and the perilous conditions under which they worked: their bodies used as human ladders; their comrades lost and buried below.

A nation built by Black men and boys should protect Black men and boys.

Last year, in the aftermath of the brutal murder of George Floyd, the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act was signed into law to counter the injustices that Black men and boys have endured from the periods of slavery and Jim Crow to present day. It is the most significant piece of civil rights legislation to become law since the Voting Rights Act.

On Nov. 9, 2021, the bipartisan Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys held its inaugural meeting at which the renowned Rev. Al Sharpton and I were elected to serve as Secretary and Chair, respectively. The Commissions 19 members include members of the Congressional Black Caucus, government officials, education and social justice experts, and others who represent a broad spectrum of political ideologies but are united in their overwhelming commitment to examining the challenges faced by Black men and boys and providing tangible, sustainable solutions.This is no ordinary commission. Its members will not simply study and write reports that then fall on deaf ears. We will travel the United States to meet with Black men and boys right where they are; visit prisoners on death row; and work with churches, fraternal organizations, and national organizations like the NFL, NAACP and National Action Network to engage them in the process. We will investigate potential civil rights violations and conduct methodical studies of the conditions affecting Black men and boys, including, but not limited to, homicide and incarceration rates, poverty, fatherhood, income disparities and school performance.

All of this our efforts to go beyond the traditional duties of a congressional commission will help our nations highest-ranking officials gain greater insight into the experiences of Black males.

Whether in society, health, education or other life scenarios, Black men and boys are forced to endure the adverse impacts of centuries-long inequities when compared to men and boys of other racial groups.

The New York Times reported in 2015 that 1.5 million Black men, who at that time would be between the ages of 25 and 54, had disappeared from daily life because of incarceration or death. The dropout rate among Black males between the ages of 16 and 24 is 8.7 percent, nearly twice the rate for white males. The prevalence of strokes is nearly 80 percent higher than it is for white men, and the stroke mortality rate is nearly 60 percent higher than that of white mens.

For these and many more reasons, the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys is stepping up to propose measures and policy recommendations that can remedy the underlying causes of disparate conditions.And, while Black men and boys are the Commissions primary focus, my fellow commissioners and I are confident that our work will ultimately uplift Black families and the Black community because Black children need strong, successful fathers and Black women need committed husbands and partners.

We declare 2022 the Year of Black Men and Boys.

Frederica S. Wilson represents Floridas 24th District.

Excerpt from:
2022: The year of Black men | TheHill - The Hill