June is filled with amazing holidays including Father’s Day, Black Music Appreciation Month, Juneteenth and PRIDE Month.
All of these holidays are connected to Black men; Black men as fathers, musicians and artists, as liberators and free citizens.
But what does it mean for Black boys in America to be truly able to express themselves artistically, academically and through activism without being scrutinized.
Malcolm X once stated that “the most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.”
But within the last 23 years, data reflects that Black boys have joined Black women in this ranking specifically regarding education.
Black boys are disproportionately represented in:
- Special education
- In and out of school suspensions
- Missing person cases (children and youth)
- Homelessness
- Academic performance below grade level
- Bullying
- Gang violence
- School to prison pipeline
The Center for Human Rights highlights a recent study on Black boys and the increasing number of suicides that have occurred within the last 23 years. These suicides correlate to the social emotional impact of what’s happening in our schools, communities and households.
Increased incidents of police brutality and the continued stigma against Black boys who identify as LGBTQ+ speaks to some of the reasons attributing to these stats. In fact, Black boys who identify as LGBTQ+ are the least protected in public schools and communities.
Data collected highlights that the majority of our boys ages 10-16 who are homeless identify as LGBTQ+ and come from two parent households. Out of the 63% of Black youth who report major symptoms and bouts of depression identify as LGBTQ+ and male.
Nearly 1 in 4 Black youth have attempted suicide and over 30% identify as LGBTQ+.
Black boys need safe spaces, and if those spaces aren’t in their homes or our communities, it should most definitely be in our schools. We don’t have enough foster homes with care, group homes with resources, shelters that can address the mental health concerns of our boys.
The White House has recently created the Free to Learn initiative. In a meeting with the Secretary of Education, staff members of the DOE and Civil Rights department, it was determined that the inclusion of Black boys who identify as LGBTQ+ is still an area of growth.
Black parents of children, especially boys who identify as LGBTQ+ must pause and stop throwing away, displacing or willingly placing our boys in harm’s way. We’re already battling to save them from the war on drugs, gun violence, gang violence and the school to prison pipeline.
Black boys are silenced in expressing their pain artistically and through activism against the systemic violence and abuse against them mentally, physically, sexually and emotionally.
77% of Black boys and youth have heard family members say negative things about LGBTQ+ people. Black trans women and sex workers experience the most violence against them from within our community. The sexual abuse of our boys in schools and communities is a very taboo topic, seldom acknowledged or addressed. Yet, Black boys are disproportionately represented in the human sex trafficking pipeline.
Black boys deserve to be free to learn and free to be regardless of how they identify.
If you experience a hate crime and haven’t received support at school, home or in your community for Indianapolis, call (317) 595 – 4000.
Contact Indy Kids Winning reporter Jason B. Allen at jasona@indyrecorder.com . Follow him on Twitter ProfessorJBA.
Jason’s work is supported through a partnership between Indy Kids Winning and the Indianapolis Recorder. Visit indykidswinning.com to learn more.
