Few would argue that there is a myriad of persistent challenges that both plague and find expression in the lives of African American boys and men in Baton Rouge. These challenges are manifest in health status, educational attainment, employment and income disparities, contact with the criminal justice system and life expectancy to name just a few.
MetroMorphosis has developed a coalition, the Urban Congress on African American Males in Baton Rouge, to understand the extent to which these challenges impact the quality of life for Black boys and men and then leverage the communities to transform their lives, their families, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Despite the glaring statistics, we choose not to begin with a deficit viewpoint. Rather, we approach this work with the intent to build upon what is present. Urban Congress seeks to shift our community’s mindset concerning African-American males; to recognize and celebrate the ways in which they contribute to our city; to acknowledge the systemic nature of the problems they face; to amplify their collective aspirations and to identify the tools they need to overcome the obstacles in realizing these aspirations. We envision the work of Urban Congress will require 7 to 10 years.
Mission- To establish long term, systemic progress towards enriching the state of African American males in Baton Rouge.
Vision- A Baton Rouge where African-American males are valued by the community as integral assets and are productive, connected, healthy, and safe