PREPARING OUR SONS

There is a lot of work to do to increase the graduation rates for African American males in Duval County. Black males leave high school before graduation in a much higher proportion than white males. Seeing that a diploma is tantamount for going to college & getting a good paying job, I'd venture to say that we have a lot of work to do. 

Researchers have found that one in four black male high school dropouts are either incarcerated or in detention. Along with the expense of incarceration & the dependence upon public assistance, this adds up to roughly $300,000 in taxpayer money spent over the lifetime of a dropout. The life of our communities depend upon our black children being educated & our males graduating on time. Some states are performing exceedingly well in graduating black males on time. 

More must be done in Duval County to unite parents, educators, mentors & the males themselves in order to turn it around & to see that black males are graduating, going to college, going to vocational school, going to the military or just going anywhere except going to jail & prison.