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Local leaders, experts and youth spotlight local models improving health, education, employment and juvenile justice outcomes
OAKLAND, Calif. (January 20, 2012) — Today, California state legislators gathered in Oakland to investigate ways to improve the life chances for young men of color in the state as part of a legislative effort established by Assembly Speaker John Pérez. Members of the California Assembly’s Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color, which is chaired by Assemblymember Sandré Swanson, heard from Bay Area community leaders and youth on promising models that improve the health and success of boys and young men of color with a focus on education, employment and juvenile justice.
“Boys and young men of color in California face triple jeopardy: They grow up in poor families, live in poor neighborhoods and attend poor schools. These barriers make it very difficult for them to rise above their circumstances,” said Junious Williams, CEO of the Urban Strategies Council. “The Bay Area, and Oakland in particular, is pioneering successful approaches helping young men overcome those barriers to lead successful lives.”
Research conducted by the RAND Corporation, PolicyLink and Drexel University found that African-American and Latino boys and young men are much more likely to experience poor health outcomes than white boys and young men. Most of these differences in health are directly related to the neighborhoods where they grow up.
“Young people are one of our greatest assets and the best indicator of our state’s future prosperity and health,” said Dr. Anthony Iton, senior vice president at The California Endowment. “The future of California is tied to the future of boys and young men of color. They can make our neighborhoods stronger. They can work hard and keep California competitive in the global economy.”
Investing in young men of color can reap huge dividends for California. Per a 2007 study, African-American and Latino men graduating high school generate $681,130 and $451,360, respectively, per person in additional dollars for the state due to increased tax revenue and economic productivity as well as decreased costs associated with poor health or incarceration.
Promising programs discussed at the hearing include:
- EDUCATION: Oakland Unified School District’s African-American Male Achievement Initiative
OUSD Superintendent Tony Smith, who testified at the hearing, initiated the AAMA Initiative as part of OUSD’s “full-service community schools” strategy— to improve education outcomes for boys and young men of color. The model enables schools to form partnerships that get boys off to a good start and eliminate the many barriers to success they face. The district’s move to create full-service community schools will create partnerships to provide before- and after-school programs, family support centers and medical and dental services.
- EMPLOYMENT: Camp Sweeney Emergency Medical Services Training
The Alameda County Health Care Services Agency partnered with local ambulance company Bay EMT to train former youth offenders in Alameda County’s Camp Sweeney to be certified as emergency medical technicians. The program, presented by Agency Director Alex Briscoe, encourages youth to “save lives, don’t destroy lives,” and gives youth the opportunity to contribute to the economy in a high-demand field. Of the 11 young men who graduated from the first cohort, so far three have passed the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. A second cohort of 20 participants, 12 young men and eight young women, is in progress.
- JUVENILE JUSTICE: Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth
In an effort to shift away from zero-tolerance approaches that push kids out of school and into the juvenile justice system, RJOY provides training and manages school-based programs to reduce violence and arrests. RJOY Executive Director Fania Davis discussed the program’s success, including the West Oakland Middle School pilot project which eliminated violence and expulsions, and reduced suspension rates by 87 percent, saving the school thousands in attendance and Title I funding.
These and other programs discussed at the hearing will help inform statewide policy priorities to eliminate obstacles for boys and young men of color and enable them to work hard, succeed and contribute to California’s economy. “We’re looking at a state that is going to be left behind if we don’t invest in the youth,” said Angela Glover Blackwell, founder and CEO of PolicyLink, a research and action institute advancing economic and social equity. “We have to be smart. We have to be strategic, because when we invest in our youth, we invest in California’s tomorrow.”
Many organizations who have worked on the issues facing young men of color for years expressed support for the committee and its ability to elevate these issues, including: PolicyLink, The California Endowment, Warren Institute, Movement Strategy Center, Urban Strategies Council, Youth Uprising, Ella Baker Center, East Bay Asian Youth Center, Inter-Tribal Friendship House and the Unity Council. The hearing in Oakland is the second in a year-long series of hearings conducted by the California Assembly’s Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color. Additional hearings are planned for Fresno, Los Angeles and Sacramento.
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The Urban Strategies Council, a social impact organization focusing on research, collaboration and innovation is located in Oakland, California, and works locally and regionally to provide research, data and policy analysis, strategic planning, program development, capacity building and advocacy in service of low-income communities of color. www.urbanstrategies.org.
PolicyLink is a national research and advocacy institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works. ® Founded in 1999, PolicyLink helps create sustainable communities of opportunity that offer access to quality jobs, affordable housing, good schools, transportation, and the benefits of healthy food and physical activity. The organization is based in Oakland (Calif.), with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington DC. www.policylink.org.
The Chief Justice Earl Warren Institute on Law and Social Policy is a multidisciplinary research and policy center at the University of California, Berkeley Law School Law focusing on the most challenging civil rights, education, criminal justice, family and economic security, immigration and healthcare issues facing California and the Nation. Central to the Warren Institute’s methods are concerted efforts to build bridges connecting the world of research with the world of civic action and policy debate. www.law.berkeley.edu/ewi.htm.
Movement Strategy Center helps local campaigns to increase their impact by forming powerful alliances around a proactive vision that can affect state-level policy. The Center’s ultimate goal is to build a more strategic, collaborative and sustainable progressive movement. www.movementstrategy.org.
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, The Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people's health. The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. www.calendow.org.
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