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Conference Summary
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Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
State of the African American Male Initiative
New York-New Jersey Regional Conference
June 18, 2005
New York University Law School
New York, New York
"Changing the Image, Changing the Reality, Taking Responsibility"
Conference Summary
The NY/NJ State of the African American Male Conference opened to an enthusiastic audience of over 1,200 participants. The attendees, some who arrived as early as 7:30 am to participate in the day‑long forum, packed into the New York University School of Law auditorium, filled a nearby overflow room, and crowded the hallways.
Entitled “Changing the Image, Changing the Reality, Taking Responsibility,” the conference was convened by the New York and New Jersey members of the Congressional Black Caucus — U.S. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Major R. Owens, Donald M. Payne, Charles B. Rangel, and Edolphus Towns. It was co-sponsored by the Community Service Society of New York. Presenters and panelists were made up of researchers, educators, business leaders, advocates, community organizers, and actors, who addressed a wide range of issues and conditions affecting the region’s African American males.
The State of the African American Male Initiative, which was started in 2003 by Chicago Rep. Danny Davis, has become a priority project of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The NY/NJ conference was the last of a series of similar events that have been held around the country. The other conferences took place in Los Angeles, Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, and Washington, DC.
Queens Rep. Gregory W. Meeks called the NY/NJ conference to order; declaring that, “this event is intended as a beginning of building a process aimed addressing the problems and prospects of African American males.” He emphasized that, “it is important to start by addressing both the societal factors and the negative individual behaviors that are barriers to the full and successful participation of Black males in the economic, political, educational, and social mainstream.” Meeks added: “On this Father’s Day weekend, we wanted to bring together Black men who are involved in changing the image and the reality of African American men and in taking responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities.”
Rev. Edward Davis, pastor of St. Albans Presbyterian Church, put the deliberations on a spiritual footing when he reminded the audience that each and everyone present is “their brother’s keeper” in that we all have a shared responsibility to help those without jobs, those enduring incarceration, those in need of mentoring, and those who require comfort and peace.
Randolph Smith, a 15 year old LaGuardia High School for Music and the Performing Arts student inspired the audience with a moving trumpet solo rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing!” A couple of jazz aficionados in the crowd said they felt like they might have heard the next Wanton Marshals.
Allen McFarlane, Assistant Vice‑President for Diversity and Student Community Development greeted the audience on behalf of New York University. He stressed that the State of the African American Male conference is of “great historical significance and importance to” NYU. McFarlane also emphasize that higher education plays a central role in improving the opportunities available to African American males. He noted that, “New York University has pledged $650 million towards its financial aid programs to close the admissions gap that exists between student from low socioeconomic backgrounds and their ability to attend our institution.” “We are confident,” he concluded, “the numbers of black men attending NYU will increase.”
Richard Boykin spoke on behalf of Rep. Danny K. Davis (Ill.-7), the founder of the SAAM Initiative. Boykin, who is Rep. Davis’ chief of staff, pointed to quality of life issues such as unemployment, health care, disproportionate incarceration rates, poor education, and stressed that in addition to fostering a dialogue, it is important for the SAAM conferences to also examine best practices.
The first panel, entitled “Image vs. Reality: African American Males in New York City and Newark in 2005,” was moderated by Rep. Major R. Owens (NY-11), sparked a lively discussion. David Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society, pointed out that a Princeton University study showing that white male ex-offenders have as good a chance of getting entry-level jobs as Black males with no record. Jones presented a devastating critique of the inadequacy of public policy and the neglect of the private sector.
Other participants included Rodney Bretton, Project Director of the Essex County Construction Careers Program of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice; Darwin M. Davis, President & CEO, New York Urban League; Dr. Walter Stafford, Professor, Robert F. Wagner School of Public Affairs, New York University; Dr. John Flateau, Dean of the School of Business and Public Administration, Medgar Evers College; and Antonio D. Martin, Executive Director, Queens Hospital Center.
Professor Stafford noted that the mean age of death of Black males in New York City is 61, 10 years lower than the mean age for the city as a whole. He also said that 48 percent of all homicide victims in the city were young Black males. Antonio Martin stressed the problematic health situation of Black men, including disparities in the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and HIV/AIDS.
Lunch speakers Rev. Al Sharpton and New York State Senate Minority Leader David A. Paterson inspired the capacity crowd. Paterson said that legislative reforms such as rescinding the Rockefeller drug laws were necessary to eliminate the racial disparities in incarceration rates. He also demanded a meaningful jobs creation program; including in the construction trades within the framework of the development projects that city is undertaking. Reverend Al Sharpton said the African American community is suffering from a “battered race syndrome,” which includes symptoms like making excuses for those who discriminate, leaving the struggle for others, and failing to support black leaders. “We need to support the legislators that are here for action.” Sharpton criticized the mayoral candidates for failing to about the high unemployment rates black men endure. He also did not spare the hip-hop artists who contribute or collaborate with projecting negative images of Black America and in particular denigrate Black women. He called on Black men to stand up and help lead. “We don’t have to bow to nobody. Stand up like men. Be who you were born to be!”
Rep. Donald M. Payne (NJ-10) moderated the panel entitled, “Changing the Reality of African American Males in New York and New Jersey.” Presenters and panelists included: Dr. Edison Jackson, President, Medgar Evers College; William Thompson, New York City Comptroller; David Banks, principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx; Dr. Gerrard Bushell, Institutional Advisor, CitiGroup Asset Management; Dr. Pedro Noguera, Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, New York University; and Luther Gatlin, President, Budget and Credit Counseling Service. Gatlin is also the current president of the New York City Chapter of One Hundred Black Men.
Dr. Jackson discussed the Black Male Empowerment Initiative and the Leadership Institute he has set up at Medgar Evers College to “create a new kind of person.” Stressing the importance of education, he called for developing a “new paradigm for determining the way in which our children are being taught.” Dr. Jackson also challenged Black churches to become more deeply involved in changing the reality of Black males.
City Comptroller Thompson stressed, “Education is the foundation for success and creative personal development, particularly given the demands of globalization.” He said that it is “necessary to celebrate academic achievement,” to restore school-to-work and vocational training programs in city schools, and “to break the cycle of violence that engulfs many of our black young men.”
NYU’s Pedro Noguera said that what “we are dealing with is not a crisis in the usual meaning of that word, but a long term debilitating condition that has been imposed on African American males.” He added it is important to “make a distinction between symptoms and causes, and that education is implicated in both the causes and the solutions.”
Gerrard Bushell of Citigroup concentrated his remarks on “assets for struggle.” He said the Black community, supplemented by other concerned sectors, “has many institutions that together have vast capacity for social action.” He also stated that officials and institutions have to be held accountable for the failure of education, economic policy, and for community disinvestment.”
The final panel, “African American Males in New York City and Newark Taking Responsibility,” focused on institutional and personal accountability. The discussion was moderated by Rep. Edolphus Towns (NY-10). Dr. Roland V. Anglin, Executive Director, NJ Public Policy Research Institute told the audience: “You are responsible for yourself, your families, and your community. “ Anglin also observed that Black men have been set upon by the media yt “transmits depraved images of our community around the world.” He said Black males in particular by their example and their deed must refuse to corroborate those negative portrayals.
Co-presenter Walter Fields, Vice‑President for Government Relations and Political Development at the Community Service Society, stressed the importance of challenging irresponsible institutions, policies, and officials. He cited a number of instances in which Blacks acted to alter or remove offensive policies, personnel, and procedures. The panelists included Dr. Ron Daniels, Executive Director, Center for Constitutional Rights, who talked about grassroots action, and Hil Harper, co-star of “CSI: New York.”
Harper excited the crowd with a stunning analysis of the effect of movies, music, and the media on Black men, noting that because of today’s technology the entertainment and communications is much more visual than in the past and is therefore more aggressive in projecting images and messages. He said as a result “many of the images of Black people were so negative, constant, and all-encompassing that they cultivated inferior thinking” particularly among young Black males. “Film, music, and television degrade our spiritual DNA.” But, he emphasized, the Black community should and can meet this challenge “not by rejecting technology but by mastering it.” “Technology,” he said, “creates new opportunities for communicating and for image-building in a global context — this is where Black men must take responsibility, especially since much of the new technology is readily accessible, especially the Internet. A handful of people can use the Internet to correct mistakes, to tell the truth, to build movements of thousands.”
At the wrap up session, which ended the conference, Dr. Bobby Austin, chair of the SAAM national advisory board, said the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation would issue a report summarizing all of the SAAM conferences in early 2006.
Rep. Meeks closed the conference by restating the commitment of the area’s CBC members to develop a continuations process that will draw in others. Plans include a meeting of the program participants and creating a system of regular communication with the attendees and other interested parties. Recapping his opening remarks, Meeks said, “We intend to exclude no one. Every one — Black men and women, whites, Hispanics, Asian, business people, union leaders, scholars, researchers, activists, clergy, artists, and entertainers — who wants to help address the issues we talked about today is welcome to participate as we undertake the challenge of “changing the image, changing the reality, and taking responsibility.”
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