Norton's Commission on Black Men and Boys Will Hold Hearing on Black Men & Employment (08/05/2010)

Norton's Commission on Black Men and Boys Will Hold Hearing on Black Men & Employment: What Black Men Need to Do in the Toughest Job Market in History

August 5, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-DC) Commission on Black Men and Boys will host a hearing entitled Black Men & Employment: What Black Men Need to Do in the Toughest Job Market in History on Tuesday August 10, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G Street NW. The forum responds to the particularly difficult time Black men are having in a job market that is sometimes unreceptive to them, especially in today's unprecedented economy. Dr. Ronald Walters, political analyst and former University of Maryland professor, will be the lead witness in an informative but candid discussion on the factors affecting Black men in securing and maintaining gainful employment. Former D.C. Police Chief, Isaac Fulwood, appointed by President Obama to chair the federal parole commission, which has jurisdiction over most of D.C. prisoners, will chair the hearing.

In addition to Walters, Norton said, "The witnesses are ideal to offer context concerning the balance between unfair stereotypes that confront Black men and boys on the one hand, and issues such as educational and job preparation on the other." The panel will include Michael Jones, a hiring law partner at Kirkland and Ellis LLP, and Rodney C. Mitchell, founder of REentry Legal Services, former Executive Director of the D.C. Office on Ex-Offender Affairs, and himself an ex-offender. They will testify about their personal and professional life experiences while becoming successful, including obstacles they have overcome and suggestions or advice they have for young Black men facing today's historically tough job market.

Norton said, "With the national unemployment rate for Black men at 17 percent, and even higher here in the District, we need to explore honestly all of the factors and circumstances, from why so many Black men are unemployed to what can be done to raise Black males employment levels. When there is only one job for every five Americans in search of work, Black men have been at a special disadvantage that must be overcome for the sake of themselves, their families, and the African-American community."

Norton formed the D.C. Commission on Black Men and Boys in 2001, and the Commission has worked to reveal and help resolve issues that Black men face, such as high school dropout rates, criminal justice issues, HIV and AIDS, and marriage and family issues. "The Commission on Black Men and Boys, which knows these issues from the ground up, has been important in encouraging the public to grapple with the condition of Black men and boys for the greater good of the entire community," said Norton.

The Congresswoman also will discuss this issue on The Daily Drum with Harold Fisher at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 6, 2010 on WHUR 96.3 FM.

WHO: Office of U.S. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and the

D.C. Commission on Black Men and Boys

WHAT: Black Men & Employment:

What Black Men Need to Do in the Toughest Job Market in History

WHERE: Martin Luther King Jr. Library, 901 G Street NW

WHEN: Tuesday, August 10, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.