Norton and Davis to Host Father’s Day Roundtable Spotlighting Issues Young Black Men Face as They Approach Young Adult Years, Next Wednesday

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys will host a Father’s Day roundtable discussion, entitled “Making Young Black Men in the Prime Early Adulthood Years (16–24 years old) Visible and Strong,” on Wednesday, June 15, 2016, at 1:00 p.m., in 2167 Rayburn House Office Building. Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) have chosen Father’s Day to bring increased attention to young African American men who did not finish high school or receive a college education.

The roundtable will feature testimony from young African American men who have overcome obstacles to find success—Javontae Morgan-Smith, a high school dropout who found support by connecting with the Safer Foundation of Chicago, Illinois, and Javonte Walker, who obtained a G.E.D. through YouthBuild, a national organization that works with at-risk youth. Also appearing will be Raheem DeVaughn, a Grammy-nominated R&B artist who founded the LoveLife Foundation, which works directly with youth in the National Capital Region, and Charles Wilson, a youth advocate and a managing partner at CW Consulting Group, LLC. The roundtable, occurring just before Father’s Day, will focus on young African American men approaching the prime of their lives who too often are disconnected from jobs, opportunities, and family life. A recent University of Illinois report found that nearly half of African American males between the ages of 16-24 in Chicago are neither in school nor working, heading into their prime adult years without preparation or opportunities. The report is believed to typify issues facing young Black men nationwide.

“Langston Hughes famously asked, ‘What happens to a dream deferred?’ Congressman Davis said. “Walk the streets of Chicago's South or West sides and you will find that question has now escalated to 'What happens to young men when denied access to good schools, jobs, training, and protection from arbitrary police stops?' The resulting crisis now subsuming our community is morally unacceptable, economically unaffordable and socially unsustainable. This crisis continues to fester in large part because we continue to pretend it doesn't exist. But it does exist, and we cannot continue to ignore it.”

“The African American community cannot afford to lose a generation of young men who often are without clear access to opportunities necessary for success in life when men typically would be embarking on careers and thinking about raising a family,” Congresswoman Norton said. “These young men are not part of institutions, such as schools, colleges, churches, or training programs. It is important that we do not allow them to become invisible and that we shine a bright light on the issues facing them. Our Father’s Day roundtable is a good time to hear from young African American men who can tell us about overcoming obstacles and finding success in their lives.”