The Education of Black Male Youth Seminar Series:
Understanding the Social, Emotional and Learning
Lives of Black Male Students

“Imagine 3 African American boys, kindergartners who are largely alike in intelligence, talent and character, whose potential seems limitless. According to a wealth of statistics and academic studies, in just over a decade, 1 of the boys is likely to be locked up or headed to prison. The 2^nd boy — if he hasn’t already dropped out — will seriously weigh leaving high school and be pointed toward an uncertain future. The 3^rd boy will be speeding toward success by most measures.”

-Michael Fletcher, the Washington Post, June 2006

In Boston, there are 15,575 Black male students in the school system, constituting approximately 24 percent of the overall student body. Black students received 72 percent of the out-of-school suspensions, while White students received 7 percent. Black students accounted for 69 percent of classifications for “Emotional Disturbance” and 53 percent of “Specific Learning Disabilities” while White students made up 13 percent and 18 percent of those so classified. (Schott Foundation, 2004)

For the second year, Wheelock College and the Delores Walker Johnson Center for Thoughtful Leadership at ATLAS Learning Communities will inform and engage both the local and national community about the crisis confronting Black male youth with a series of seminars addressing the education of young black males.