Overview of The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys (CSSBMB)

Subject

Government Commissions, Black men and youth, Social Status

Description

The bill leading to forming the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys (CSSBMB) was passed in the Senate on June 25. The commission plans to recommend policies to help improve and augment current government programs.

Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton and Florida’s 24th congressional district representative Frederica Wilson will serve as the Secretary and Chair of the commission. Other members include government officials, members of the Congressional Black Caucus, education and social justice experts, and other policymakers.

The committee claims to stand apart from those in the past — not restricting itself to reports and discussions that die down — by conducting thorough research and examining the challenges Black boys and men face in the country. 

“We will travel the United States to meet with Black men and boys right where they are; visit prisoners on death row; and work with churches, fraternal organizations, and national organizations like the NFL, NAACP, and National Action Network to engage them in the process,” writes Rep. Wilson, adding that the committee will investigate potential civil rights violations and conduct systematic studies on contributing factors to the offense. The work is also said to explore “homicide and incarceration rates, poverty, fatherhood, income disparities, and school performance.”

By being a “non-partisan” federal agency,” the committee aims to lead the national discussion for addressing issues affecting Black males in the history of America’s cultural landscape. 

Rep. Wilson declared 2022 as the ‘Year of Black Men and Boys.’ She added that her fellow commissioners would “ultimately uplift Black families and the Black community” so that it meets its needs for “successful fathers” and “committed husbands.” Calling it the “most significant piece of civil rights legislation” since the Voting flights Act., Ailson beliefs

CSSBMB’s work will also help America’s highest-ranking officials better understand the experiences of Black males. 

There is much work for the CSSBMB to do. According to a 2015 report by The New York Times, 1.5 million Black men parted with their daily routine because of death and incarceration between 25 and 54. The report also highlighted that the dropout rate of Black males — at 8.17% — was twice higher than white males. Notably, the stroke mortality rate was 60% higher than white men. 

“The fact that sometimes progress is messy and painful and bloody does not mean that it is not still progress,” Stacy Knoe, a former math teacher and executive director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, told NPR. “It’s been a problem in America literally since the inception of America, and I think that that truth is what’s making certain segments of the dominant society very uncomfortable.”

The social inequality laters extends deep, as shown by the impact of COVID- 19 on Black males. The findings revealed that Black others — along with Latinos — experienced economic hardship during the pandemic at twice or thrice the rate of white people. 

The commission came into existence after the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020 — a brutal incident that just signified the injustice Blacks face in the U.S. With the veil uplifted, the committee can make serious recommendations that can aid in creating an equal space for Black men and boys.

The call for change is not just at an organizational level but impacts the psyche, driven by America’s cultural narrative and social outlook. Suppose the recommendations can stir the very foundation of stale racial thoughts and provide flexible, inclusive, tangible, and sustainable solutions vetted by topic experts. In that case, there’d be much to look forward to.

Creator

The Black Male Archives Team

Publisher

Preservation Media

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