Hello Everyone,
Evelyn here,
The new release below concerns the First Annual Report of the Council on the Social Status of Black men and Boys.
January 15, 2008
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Council on Social Status of Black Men and Boys Releases First Annual Report
~ Prominent among recommendations is the need to make the Council, housed in the Attorney General’s Office, a permanent commission ~
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum and Levi Williams, Chairman of the Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, today announced that the Council has released its first annual report. The report covers the topics addressed by the Council’s five subcommittees on improving economic outcomes, foster care and families issues, education outcomes and health status and developing legislative review.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with this distinguished group of individuals,” said Attorney General McCollum. “It is important to bring together both the people and the resources needed to help today's youth make the choices that will send their lives in a positive direction.”
The Council is committed to developing dynamic recommendations to change the social paradigms in education, health, and economics and to improve the overall well-being of this population through long-term committed efforts in the legislature and individual communities throughout Florida. One of the recommendations in the report is the suggestion that smaller local councils be created in each of Florida’s 67 counties to create a network for communication, education and action. Chairman Levi Williams stressed the importance of community support in the efforts to raise awareness about the socioeconomic conditions affecting Black men and boys in the state of Florida.
"The Council's Report is not a panacea for all that ails the Black community, but an opportunity for the man and woman in the mirror to use it as an outline for an increased quality of life,” said Chairman Levi Williams, Esq. "The Council's efforts, as with each of us, are but a drops in the roaring river of change!"
The Council recommended that GovernorBush’s Ex-Offender Task Force suggestions be reconsidered for potential implementation. The Council also encouraged opportunities for joint-ventures between and among Black-owned businesses to increase contract performance capacities, shared costs, and increased outcomes. An educational recommendation was made to identify intervention programs with proven records of success working with Black Males, such as Role Models of Excellence. A joint health status and families issues recommendation was to invest in public education drive about the benefits of early screening for health care. Other recommendations include the request that the Council be made a permanent commission which can be accomplished by legislative action.
In addition to the annual report, the Council also recently unveiled its website, http://www.cssbmb.com, which includes its statutory authority, mission statement, council members’ directory, and news releases as well as links to many resources valuable to its mission.
The Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys is housed in the Office of the Attorney General. Created by the Legislature during the 2006 Legislative Session, the Council is charged with making a systematic study of the conditions affecting Black men and boys including homicide rates, arrest and incarceration rate, poverty, violence, drug abuse, death rates, disparate annual income levels, health issues and school performance. The goal of the Council is to propose measures to alleviate and correct the underlying causes of the conditions described above. These measures may consist of changes to the law or systematic changes that can be implemented without legislative action.
The Council’s next full meeting will be on January 22, 2008 at the Capitol. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss the recommendations included in the report. The meeting is open to the public.
A copy of the report is available on the Council’s website here.
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Evelyn out
