The City of Cleveland, which is predominately Black, is creating a commission to address challenges facing Black men and boys.
The Commission on Black Males, which became official through a city council vote last week, is meant to spotlight and address a range of issues, including education and employment, gun violence and incarceration disparities.
“This commission's goal is to be able to come up with an actual plan and study what it takes to make the household whole again,” said Councilmember Richard Starr, who created the legislation for the committee.
Black men are more than five times more likely than white men to be in a state or federal prison, according to 2022 U.S. Department of Justice data. Black boys also have lower graduation rates compared to white, Hispanic and Asian boys in the U.S., according to a 2021 study by the Brookings Institute.
City council and Mayor Justin Bibb are creating a 15-member commission of young people and adults, including faith leaders, business leaders, city leaders, trades workers, educators and social service workers. The mayor will select three members of the commission and council will select the rest.
They will work as an advisory council to the mayor, city council and other departments, Starr said.
“It’s best served for us to have a commission, research that study and say, ‘Hey, this is what the council should be doing. Hey, this is what the mayor and his administration should be doing. This is the advocacy, this is the dollars we need,’” Starr said.
The city’s Commission on Black Women and Girls started operating last year, two years after it was created by council.
“We also commend the work that the council lady, Stephanie Howse-Jones, as well as other women on council came together to put that initiative,” Starr said. “Also, we have to look at the fact that we've never, ever — since I've been alive — ever start to talk about the Black male as a whole, so this is an opportunity for us to say, you know what, let's take advantage of this moment right now.”
Council discussed the $20 million for a “Responsible Father Initiative” that Gov. Mike DeWine included in the state’s most recent budget, suggesting it could be financially beneficial to the commission.
