2025 Initiative Steering Committee Holds First Meeting
 
The concept behind the Black Men and Boys 2025 Initiative is a simple one: What can we do to make certain there is broad access to a high-quality education, economic opportunities, employment, and affordable housing for this population? Finding effective solutions requires thoughtful discussion; therefore, the first face-to-face meeting of the 2025 Steering Committee took place in New York just before the Black and Male in America conference, brought together by Kevin Powell and supported by 21CF. Eleven organizations from across the nation participated, each sharing their local interests as well as their perspectives on broader national issues. Their work sought to establish a proper infrastructure for the campaign and determine which issues will form the basis of its platform with education, healthcare, jobs, and the criminal justice system, as well as the uses and effects of the media within our community.

The division of responsibilities in the formative stages of such collaborative efforts is crucial for real progress. The policy working group is looking at issues such as the consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act and its potential reauthorization. The recently introduced Responsible Fathers and Families Act of 2007 brought to the Senate by Evan Bayh and Barack Obama, and the subject of universal healthcare were also discussed. Chicago and Oakland are serving as the anchor points of the 2025 Campaign so far, and other municipalities are interested in starting their own local efforts, which will lay the groundwork for a regional and then, ultimately, a national plan of attack. The next scheduled gatherings of the Steering Committee will take place shortly in Raleigh-Durham, NC, and in Chicago, IL, in the fall. We will keep you apprised of all progress.