Date: 9 August 2007
The independent REACH report published today has been written by 20 leading experts across the fields of education, youth justice, the voluntary and community sector, law enforcement and business. The report says that a lack of positive role models is having a detrimental effect on the aspirations on young Black men and says a national role modelling programme is needed to raise expectations and counter negative portrayals of Black men.
New figures published in the report set-out the stark future economic costs of failure to promote equality of opportunity for Black boys. It makes clear that tackling underachievement among Black boys and young men could benefit the economy by £24 billion over the next 50 years.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears will receive the report on behalf of Government at the launch in Manchester.
The REACH group were asked to look at how communities, local agencies, parents individuals, local and central Government can work together to raise aspirations, create more opportunities and improve life chances of young black men.
The report makes clear that tackling issues around underachievement is a shared responsibility. The Black community, community leaders and voluntary organisations, local and central government all have an important role to play if progress is going to be made.
The report puts forward five recommendations:
Chair of REACH Clive Lewis, who is founder of The Mens Room, believes that a new generation of role models from within local communities are needed - lawyers, doctors, teachers, charity leaders, successful local politicians and others. He thinks that too often the role models for young black men are celebrities and rappers - who can glamorise crime, guns or gangs.
The report calls for a new national structured programme identifying and promoting local role models who challenge these images in communities, promoting positive citizenship and alternative role models. The report also looks at the positive impact that mentoring schemes can have both on young people and in supporting parents.
Clive Lewis said:
'We need to create a new culture where young Black men look up less to rappers and more to successful young Black role models in their communities like doctors, lawyers, community leaders and others.'
The Government should construct a national framework for family-school partnerships, ensuring that the needs of Black families are integral to the framework.
The report calls for a stronger relationship and engagement between parents of Black boys and teachers and schools to promote greater educational aspiration. These partnerships could provide support and encouragement so more Black parents become school governors, offer more advice and guidance on promoting education at home and support parents in raising concerns or suggestions on improving local schools.
Voluntary and Community Sector organisations working to support Black boys and young Black men should form Black-led Consortia, supported by the Government.
Many of the organisations at the forefront of tackling underachievement amongst Black young men and boys are small in scale and face significant barriers. Many do not have the experience, time or expertise to apply for Government funding, local authority grants or voluntary sector resources. One of the most successful ways of overcoming these barriers is for them to form an umbrella organisation to make their voice heard, share expertise and resources. This ensures a more coordinated and strengthened focus on tackling issues of concern.
To view news articles on the report please click on the links below:
http://www.gnn.gov.uk/Content/Detail.asp?ReleaseID=306443&NewsAreaID=2