Report on Philly’s African-American males shows dearth of educational opportunity

A report from the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on African-American Males identifies failure of the city’s education system as a chief problem in the community.

Former Mayor Wilson Goode Sr. was a co-chair of the group, formed in 2011 as a way to address systemic issues facing the African-American community in Philadelphia.

“The chief problem right now is the lack of educational opportunity for African-American men and boys and that there is a disproportional number of African-American males who are dropping out of school who are unable to compete in the marketplace for jobs,” Goode said Monday.

The commission recommends forging relationships with area colleges and universities to boost enrollment of African-American men. 

Goode said that would benefit all concerned.

“I believe that there is much that needs to be done for people who are living on the edge and not enough of them have been brought into the mainstream,” he said.

One specific aim, the report said, is developing a home-grown technology community for black men, since they’re underrepresented in that field.