Commission on the Status of Black Males to Host Community Forum Addressing Issues Affecting African-American Males in Bloomingto

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 28, 2015

For more information, please contact:

Rafi Khalid Hasan II, Director, Safe and Civil City Program, City of Bloomington,

safeandcivil@bloomington.in.gov, 812.349.3559

Cornelius Wright, Chair, City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males

corwright@icloud.com

Commission on the Status of Black Males to Host Community Forum Addressing Issues Affecting African-American Males in Bloomington

Bloomington, Ind. - The City of Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males (CSBM) will host a community forum on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Monroe County Public Library, 404 E. Kirkwood Ave. During the forum, community members will have the opportunity to speak with commissioners about educational outcomes, the impact of the criminal justice system, employment and career development, and the health and wellness of black males in Bloomington. The commission hopes this forum will assist in the assessment of the social status of black males in the city of Bloomington and the development of a community-wide initiative.

The City commission, along with the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males (ICSSBM), was created to address four issues related to the social status of black males: criminal justice, education, employment and health and wellness. At the 2015 ICSSBM annual conference, which took place in early October, it was reported that of the 22% of children born into poverty in Indiana, 45% were black children, an estimated 44% of black males are unemployed or not currently participating in the workforce, 35% of black males in Indiana are represented in juvenile detention facilities and 36% are represented in the adult inmate population.

"It is important for us to not only understand how these statistics reflect the youth in our community, but also, it indicates to us the importance of working and coordinating our efforts to ensure our community vitality," said Cornelius Wright, Chairman of the Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males. Wright added, "The commission is committed to addressing these issues, however, the task before us is bigger than just us. Our hope is that those in attendance will not only be able to address their concerns and identify the issues, but continue to work with us after the forum."

This forum is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the CSBM Liasion, Rafi Hasan at 812.349.3559 or safeandcivil@bloomington.in.gov or visit the Bloomington Commission on the Status of Black Males online at bloomington.in.gov/csbm

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