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

Leadership

 Build upon existing African-American male leadership skills by focusing on parenting/family, mentoring, and community service. 

Health

Broaden access to and utilization of quality primary health, mental wellness and addiction recovery services for African-American males

Early Childhood

Expand the number of African-American boys entering kindergarten who are ready to learn and who are able to advance annually at or above their grade level.

Secondary Education

Grow the high school and college graduation rates of African-American males.

Generational Wealth

Cultivate generational wealth by expanding business ownership and financial literacy as well as access to capital and business/career development opportunities among African-American males.

Workforce Engagement

Enhance access to and acquisition of workforce-engagement credentials for African-American males who lack a university degree.

Decarceration

Cultivate decarceration while advancing opportunities for successful reentry and restoration of full citizenship for African-American males. 

Policy & Activism

Urban Congress’ Public Policy Work Group works to provide leadership in the evaluation of necessary policy related actions and recommend appropriate strategies.