Although a few highly visible African Americans have reached positions of high status, income, and power in the United States, most blacks still live separately from whites, and significantly lag behind whites in terms of income, housing, health, and education.1 Other non-white groups, including Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans, also rank lower than whites on many measures of living conditions and opportunities, and tend to live in ethnic enclaves. Of all those not classified as members of the dominant white group, young men of color (YMC) are particular objects of stereotyping, fear, anger, misunderstanding, and rejection. Indeed, public attitudes and emotions restrict their lives and keep them from enjoying the full range of opportunities and benefits of American society.

This background paper focuses on the barriers that are limiting the educational and life paths of boys and young men of color. Specifically, the paper creates an action agenda centered on nine topics within education policy: high-stakes testing, school finance, literacy, recruitment of representative teachers, teacher preparation, school choice, single-sex classrooms/schools, structure of school day/year, and zero-tolerance policies.

This paper evaluates the impact of the prison-industrial complex on males from communities of color. In particular, it asks the following questions: What is the impact of the large increases in the proportion of state and local public funds dedicated to corrections? To what extent has the private corrections industry influenced and driven national, state, and local policy regarding criminal justice policy and programs?

This report focuses on well-being outcomes in urban, poor, and minority communities, particularly African American communities. Throughout this discussion, the analysis will be applied to black men. That said, much of the proposed framework can be applied to men in general, although admittedly, references to culture and race will need to be modified to consider the identity and experience of other groups of men in the context of their community identities, histories, and cultures.

This paper examines emerging strategies and models for effective treatment and support for young people in the juvenile justice system. It clarifies Medicaid regulations that affect states’ ability to deliver vital health services in a timely manner as young people enter and leave the juvenile justice system. And it offers guidance to state legislators, mental health and juvenile justice professionals, as well as others who are working to provide the wide range of health services needed by young people in the juvenile justice system.

This background paper focuses on the impact of decisions to transfer young men of color from the juvenile justice system to adult criminal courts, as well as the impact that alternative sentences and alternatives to incarceration have on these youth. In addition to providing historical perspective and an overview of the relevant literature, the paper offers promising practices in alternative sentencing and alternatives to incarceration, and policy options to ensure proper interventions and assistance for young men of color.