cbma midwest, presentation by andrew grant-thomas, black male achievement: taking stock, moving...
TRANSCRIPT
Black Male Achievement:
Taking Stock, Moving Forward
Andrew Grant-ThomasDeputy Director, Kirwan Institute for the
Study of Race and Ethnicity
Black Male Achievement Campaign, Midwest Regional Convening
Milwaukee, WIDecember 1-2, 2010
I. A Demographic snapshot Economics Education Family
II. Looking for explanations: A research review What the research says Some critical gaps
III. Moving forward: Identifying (some) community assets and strengths
Overview
I. A Demographic Snapshot
Tremendous progress AND tremendous vulnerability
2002-2007: number of black-owned businesses grew by 61%
1980-2009: percentage of black men earning at least $50k rose from 11% to 20% ($2009)
1970-2008: proportion of black males who are high school grads rose from 30% to 82%
1990-2006: births to black teens drop from 23% to 17% of black births
Many signs of progress
Source: Pew Research Center, http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1459/year-after-obama-election-black-public-opinion
The OBAMA
“Blacks more upbeat” – the Obama factor
6
Opportunity Mapping: Describing the geography of opportunity
Why identify the “geography “of opportunity”?
◦ “Place” makes a difference◦ Different racial groups are
differently situated◦ Differences in opportunity
are made, not born◦ We can change the
landscape of opportunity
The Kirwan Institute has drawn “opportunity maps” for many states & metro areas
Indicators of economic well-being◦ access to jobs ◦ unemployment ◦ job trends
Indicators of educational well-being◦ student poverty rates◦ test scores◦ student/teacher ratios
Indicators of neighborhood quality◦ vacant and abandoned properties ◦ crime rates◦ neighborhood poverty rates
Mapping opportunity for Black males in 7 large metro areas
Black men and boys’ access to opportunity in Chicago
Very High High Moderate Low Very Low0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
% of Black Population % of Black Males % of Black Boys
*Nearly 4 out of 5 Black men and boys live in low to very low opportunity areas
Black men and boys’ access to opportunity in Milwaukee
Very High High Moderate Low Very Low0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
% of Black Population % of Black Males % of Black Boys
*Over 85% of Black men and boys live in low to very low opportunity areas
http://www4.uwm.edu/ced/publications/blackjoblessness_2010.pdf
Poverty trends (Chicago)
1970 1980 1990 2000 2005-2007 2006-2008
National Black male popula-tion at or be-low poverty level
0.288331347011196
0.278574137773186
0.294505089571462
0.228302534305087
0.214360123303219
0.209392771868864
Chicago Black male popula-tion at or be-low poverty level
0.217367641548152
0.280955029335506
0.297016058015544
0.225268704061101
0.239784020055281
0.235847699753163
Chicago popula-tion at or be-low poverty level
0.0905961300376722
0.111013531254428
0.113331536045824
0.102979730364268
0.114957219212346
0.114406150896844
7.5%
12.5%
17.5%
22.5%
27.5%
Population at or Below Poverty Level, 1970-2008
Poverty trends (Milwaukee)
1970 1980 1990 2000 2005-2007
2006-2008
National Black male population at or below poverty level
0.288331347011196
0.278574137773186
0.294505089571462
0.228302534305087
0.214360123303219
0.209392771868864
Milwaukee Black male population at or below poverty level
NaN 0.288441358690183
0.412840213569476
0.286113891241307
0.317452142564094
0.313347790586397
Milwaukee population at or below poverty level
0.077582748780722
4
0.081022855823280
3
0.115898718796347
0.101300802806865
0.125419403435748
0.121347167577189
7.5%
12.5%
17.5%
22.5%
27.5%
32.5%
37.5%
42.5%
Population at or Below Poverty Level, 1970-2008
Median earnings (Chicago)
2005-2007 2006-2008
National median Black male individual earnings
27812 26623
Chicago median Black male individual earnings
29393 29359
Chicago median individual earnings 33243 32884
$26,500
$27,500
$28,500
$29,500
$30,500
$31,500
$32,500
$33,500
Median Individual Earnings (2008 dollars)
Median earnings (Milwaukee)
2005-2007 2006-2008
National median Black male individual earnings
27812 26623
Milwaukee median Black male individual earnings
23553 21682
Milwaukee median individual earnings 32083 31365
$21,000
$23,000
$25,000
$27,000
$29,000
$31,000
$33,000
Median Earnings (2008 dollars)
High school graduation (Chicago)
National White Male National Black Male Chicago City White Male Chicago City Black Male
2007-2008 0.78 0.47 0.630000000000002 0.44
5%
15%
25%
35%
45%
55%
65%
75%
85%
High School Graduation Rates
High school graduation (Milwaukee)
National White Male National Black Male Milwaukee White Male Milwaukee Black Male
2007-2008 0.78 0.47 0.54 0.4
5%
15%
25%
35%
45%
55%
65%
75%
85%
High School Graduation Rates
Without college degree (Chicago)
2000 2005-2007 2006-2008*
National Black male popula-tion
0.817436271228263 0.817436271228263 0.843347039469609
Chicago Black male popula-tion
0.807424844817842 0.764294875653453 0.827204165794576
Chicago popula-tion
0.654470389732258 0.614604349995948 0.665612009192653
62.5%
67.5%
72.5%
77.5%
82.5%
87.5%
Without College Degree, 2000-2008
This data is for the population 25 years and older*2006-2008 data includes people that have Associate de-grees
Without college degree (Milwaukee)
2000 2005-2007 2006-2008*
National Black male popula-tion
0.817436271228263 0.817436271228263 0.843347039469609
Chicago Black male popula-tion
0.807424844817842 0.764294875653453 0.827204165794576
Chicago popula-tion
0.654470389732258 0.614604349995948 0.665612009192653
62.5%
67.5%
72.5%
77.5%
82.5%
87.5%
Without College Degree, 2000-2008
This data is for the population 25 years and older*2006-2008 data includes people that have Associate de-grees
Single-mom homes (Chicago)
1970 1980 1990 2000 2005-2007
2006-2008
National Black female-headed families
0.28339609307661
8
0.38321150092389
9
0.43164666929647
7
0.44639604786299
5
0.45881557872360
4
0.45896332274802
1
Chicago Black female-headed families
0.23204977978908
2
0.40474374810930
7
0.47637285651308
4
0.48438287407527
0.50466291094712
9
0.50824818449564
6
Chicago female-headed households
0.11856183849598
4
0.16675369487146
0.18391076040547
1
0.18834635520264
8
0.19809595993892
7
0.19920500675849
4
5.0%
15.0%
25.0%
35.0%
45.0%
55.0%
Single-Female Headed Families, 1970-2008
Single-mom homes (Milwaukee)
1970 1980 1990 2000 2005-2007 2006-2008
National Black female-headed families
0.283396093076618
0.383211500923899
0.431646669296477
0.446396047862995
0.458815578723604
0.458963322748021
Milwaukee Black female-headed families
NaN 0.498054832286721
0.580249305690112
0.557414848346134
0.583156018695328
0.579110802615717
Milwaukee female-headed households
0.102776166021483
0.1482203708621
0.184896609700613
0.188006942475643
0.203570128451818
0.205139300162656
5.0%
15.0%
25.0%
35.0%
45.0%
55.0%
65.0%
Single-Female Headed Families, 1970-2008
3 in 4 black Americans say “more single women having children” is
a bad thing
Pew Research Center. “The Decline of Marriage and Rise of New Families.” November 18, 2010 http://pewsocialtrends.org/2010/11/18/the-decline-of-marriage-and-rise-of-new-families/
II. Looking for explanations: A research
reviewEconomic, Education, Family
◦Economic restructuring
◦Residential-jobs spatial mismatch
◦Low educational attainment
◦Skills mismatch
◦Discrimination
◦Stigma of criminal records
◦High out-of-wedlock births
◦Low marriage rates
Factors underlying economic hardship
◦Cultural incompetence
◦Lowered teacher expectations
◦Discrimination/student misclassification
◦Poor school funding and resources
◦Zero-tolerance policies
◦Weak supports for college persistence
◦Poor college preparation
Factors underlying educational status
◦Lack of “marriageable” men
◦Male/female status mismatch
◦Male joblessness/underemployment
◦Mass incarceration
◦“Perverse welfare disincentives”
◦Lower cultural premium on marriage
◦Normalization of unwed parenting
◦Racism and social stresses
Factors underlying family instability
◦Higher HS drop-out rates
◦Lower rate 4-year college enrollment and graduation rates
◦Greater likelihood of children outside marriage
◦Higher incarceration ratesAre these findings about single moms OR about the hard conditions under which they often must raise children?
“Ill effects of single-mom homes”
1. Resiliency of many black males- vs. “deficits”
2. Relationship instability-vs. “family pathology”
3. Opportunity structures - vs. “culture” and individual behaviors
4. Hidden bias and its effects – vs. explicit bias
5. Impact of race-and-gender identity
6. Cross-issue/domain connections
7. (Counterproductive) social policies
More research attention needed
Moving ForwardIdentifying our assets and strengths
1.Economic Power of the Black Community
Number of
Firms in 2002
Number of Firms in 2007
Receipts in 2002 (1,000)
Receipts in 2007 (1,000)
Percent change in # of Firms(2002-
07)
Percent change
in Receipts
(2002-07)
Illinois 68,699 106,679 4,980,181 6,856,156 55% 38%
Wisconsin
6,685 11,275 633,444 978,175 69% 54%
U.S.A. 1,197,567 1,921,907 88,641,608 137,448,331 61% 55%
http://www.census.gov/econ/sbo/#black_pre
From 1970 to 2000 the number of elected Black officials in local, state, and federal government rose more than six-fold
Wisconsin was among the first states to grant its African American residents the right to vote, thanks to Milwaukee native Ezekiel Gillespie.
As of Nov. 2010, 9 African Americans are considering running for Chicago mayor to replace Daley.
The importance in gaining the Black vote has been recognized as critical to the success of political campaigns.
2. Political Power of the Black Community
3. Coalition-building Opportunities
Coalitions among Blacks and immigrant communities can:◦ Enhance the impact and reach of an organization
◦ Attract funding from public and private sources
◦ Enhance cultural understanding
◦ Ensure common concerns are heard by policymakers, elected officials, etc
Examples:◦ United Congress of Community and Religious
Organizations (UCCRO)- Chicago, IL
◦ Gamaliel of Metro Chicago- Chicago, IL
A grassroots multi-ethnic and multi-cultural human rights alliance founded in 2005
12 members, both individuals and organizations 5 policy areas: health, education, employment,
wealth building, and safety
Successes:◦ Racial justice report cards for IL state legislators◦ Collaborated with the governor for youth summer
job creation◦ Justice training & human rights leadership boot
camp for high school and college age young people
United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations (UCCRO)
Allies: South Suburban Action Conference (SSAC), a primarily
African American faith-based organization Pilsen Neighbors Community Council (PNCC), a Mexican
immigrant community organization
Goals: workforce development Successes:
Joint press conferences & public meetings Job training programs Prepared a bill related to workforce development Formed a symbiotic relationship, including financial
support
Gamaliel of Metro Chicago
Actual/potential Midwest funder partners in Black Male Achievement work◦ Chicago Community Trust◦ Joyce Foundation◦ 21st Century Foundation◦ Association of Black Foundation Executives◦ Lloyd A. Fry Foundation◦ Greater Milwaukee Foundation◦ White House Office of Neighborhood and Faith-
based Partnerships◦ OSI Cross Fund Collaboration: EOF,TIF, CJF, D&P
Growing philanthropic interest
