Checking Our Nation's Facts: What the Numbers Really Say About The Condition of America's Young Black Males

Online, January 6, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Join NCEBC live on the air Tuesday January 8th

The National Council on Educating Black Children (NCEBC) will be on-air LIVE during the January 8, 2013 "Know-It-All: The ABCs of Education BlogTalk Radio Show. NCEBC Executive Director, Mrs. Diana Daniels will be accompanied by NCEBC Board Member and accomplished Author and Researcher, Dr. Ivory Toldson as invited guests of show Founder and Host Allison R. Brown of Allison Brown Consulting, LLC (ABC). Together they will take a glance into a perspective on the statistics for black males in education that sheds a different light on some mainstream impressions.

"Nearly 10 years ago, the Justice Policy Institute released the report "Cellblocks or Classrooms", which highlighted a disturbing pattern of states reducing funding for colleges and increasing spending on corrections. The report admonished federal and state governments for abdicating their role of providing equitable social resources and access to higher education, while building a colossal prison system, largely on the backs of nonviolent drug offenders. While the report should have been a wakeup call to policymakers, one line resonated and echoed more than any other: 'Nearly a third more African American men are incarcerated than in higher education.' Today, the line is typically not sourced or qualified, and frequently stated, 'There are more black men in jail than in college.'"

Bottom line: An honest look at current data shows that there are NOT more black men in penal institutions than institutions of higher learning.

Executive Director Daniels says, "We have to be very careful when we quote data as a means to motivate our community; especially when the data originates from a source outside of our community. This is not to imply that there is an overwhelming occurrence of malicious data manipulation. We just know that there is cause to take a closer look. Especially when the erroneous data forecasts such a grim outlook for the lives of the young black boys (and girls) that NCEBC is mission-driven to encourage.

The National Council on Educating Black Children prides itself on being a 'coalition of the willing' and we aim to work from truth ... to truth, when we encourage action on behalf of urban and minority students across the country. Data that correctly proves that there are more young black men in college than in prison is good to embrace. However, the truth is...we still have a ways to go.

Our message for the listeners of the "Know-It-All: The ABCs of Education" radio show is one of clarity and reignited purpose. NCEBC Board Member, Dr. Ivory Toldson has done some fabulous work with regard to clarifying the data and correcting the perception. You'll want to hear what he has to say and stay abreast of his continued impact. Likewise, NCEBC wants to reignite the passion toward progress in our communities. Never should we rest, and never will we celebrate, a reality of more than 800,000 black men incarcerated, even if we do have twice as many actively achieving their educational and life goals. NCEBC has Afro-centric roots and we hold dearly our 'village responsibility'".

NCEBC encourages you to join us on the air on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 10:00am ET and in follow-up blogosphere conversations as we delve further into the reality of the data regarding young black males in America. Knowledge is power.