Commission on Black Men & Boys to Hear from City's Young Men on Staying in School Tomorrow

Commission on Black Men & Boys to Hear from City's Young Men on Staying in School Tomorrow

November 14, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC -- The D.C. Commission on Black Men & Boys, in conjunction with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), will hold aroundtablehearing entitled Project Graduation,tomorrow, November 15, 2011, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at One Judiciary Square, 441 4th Street, NW.The Roundtable will tackle the first steps to success for young black men in the District of Columbia in conquering high dropout rates.

Five witnesses will speak at the hearing, and there will be an opportunity for those in attendance to ask questions and offer their own remarks to the commission. The five witnesses are:

• Lamont Carey, a D.C. native who dropped out of Fletcher-Johnson JHS and earned his GED while incarcerated. He is currently an actor, playwright and poet.
• Joseph Mathews, a former standout high school athlete who dropped out in his senior year. He went on to earn his college degree from UMD, and is currently a teacher and PhD candidate at Columbia University.
• Jamal Peters, who graduated from the National Guard Military Academy in 2009 and is currently majoring in accounting at UDC.
• Ricky Reynolds, who dropped out of Friendship High School in 2005 and earned his GED while incarcerated. He later earned a Certificate of Electrical Engineering and currently works for an electrical contracting company. He is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
• Anthony Simmons, a program coordinator at The Black Male Donor Collaborative, Schott Foundation for Public Education. He has a background in youth development and educational services.

"The Commission's roundtables are unique in relying not only on the usual experts, but on the personal stories and first-hand experiences of men who have been involved in the issues," Norton said. "The commissioners and witnesses bring experiences to the roundtables that give their work credibility with black men and boys in our city."

The Congresswoman established the D.C Commission on Black Men & Boys in 2001. Since its formation, the Commission has worked to reveal and help resolve the pressing issues that Black men and boys face, such as high school dropout rates, criminal justice issues, HIV/AIDS, marriage and family issues, and discrimination.