For the St. Louis American
Black males a while back were called “an endangered species,” a very troublesome term. Nonetheless, there is increasing realization that problems disproportionately affecting this group must be addressed.
“There are more black males in prison than in college.” While worn threadbare, this observation still reverberates in Black America.
If it is any consolation, this much-ballyhooed prison/college dichotomy may not be entirely factual. Traditional college age is 18 to 24; however, these studies researched black male inmates 18 to 55. Hence, between the ages of 18 to 24, it appears there are more college-age black males in college than in prison. (Go to Global Black News for more information on this very contentious issue: www.globalblacknews.com/Jail.html.)
Yet, the incarceration rates of black males are still too high, and there has been a history of bias against them in this white patriarchal society, resulting in enormous social problems and misuse of human capital. Still alarming is the decline of black males in academia along with the shrinking numbers of all males in college (across ethnicities).
Richard Atkins, president of TDP/St. Louis Inc., a St. Louis architecture and engineering firm, said high school students, male and female, need better counseling about going to college. He said they are not nearly as prepared as they should be.
He said another important factor is the insidious economically driven aspect of jailing large numbers of people. In other words, black males are “primary income-producing products for the prison system.” Hence, jailing them becomes an almost necessary evil to keep the numbers up.
“It’s a devastating fact of life that sometimes $55-$60 thousand is spent each year on a prisoner, while a good college education is $25-$30 thousand,” Atkins said. “You could have two persons in college for every one person incarcerated.”
An architect, Atkins is very active and community-oriented. He serves on the board of directors of 100 Black Men and the Scholarship Foundation, has two sons in college and mentors two African-American brothers, 13 and 16, formerly at Echo Children’s Home and now in foster care.
He said each person must share responsibility to address unjust treatment toward young black males by doing something, no matter how big or small.
“I think that within the black community it is incumbent that we be more engaged, particularly those who are successful. We must give back constantly to those who may need more guidance.”
For example, the numerous clubs, fraternities and sororities and other organizations could promote more adoptions, foster care and mentoring or support schools and social services to counteract this disturbing trend.
Atkins proudly said he is taking his two mentees on a tour of one of the major black-run U.S. corporations headquartered in St. Louis to expose them to productive and successful black males.
“Every member of the population should be a full participant in the society,” he said, “or else they become a drain.”
Malaika Horne, Ph.D. is director of the Executive Leadership Institute in the College of Business Administration at UMSL
