Special Issue: Challenges, Disparities and Experiences of African American Males

Abstract

The need for more research involving African American males across the life course has never been in greater demand than the present. Multiple indicators of health and well-being continue to suggest that this segment of the population is confronted by a host of environmental, psychological, and social challenges. Consequently, African American males tend to fare poorly with regard to social indicators of health and well-being – regardless of age. Recent studies have indicated that African American infants and young children between 0–4 years of age are approximately four times more likely to be a victim of homicide than their White counter-parts (Bennett et al., 2006). Moreover, the most recently available data provided by the Centers for Disease Control National Center for Injury Prevention and Control indicates that homicide is the leading cause of death for African American males between the ages of 15 and 24 (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2010). Further, recent data suggest that patterns of homicide offending among African American male adolescents and young adults are similar to patterns of homicide victimization for this group (Snyder & Sickmund, 2006). That is, African American males are not only disproportionately victims of homicide, but also commit violent offenses (including homicide) at a rate disproportionate rate as well. The challenges faced by African American males are not limited to violence. There is a wide disparity in the public high school graduation rates of White and African American students. In 2003, the national graduation rate for White students was 78%, compared with 55% for African American students (Greene & Winters, 2006). This disparity is even more pronounced when one examines graduation rates by race and gender. Nationally, about 5% fewer White male students graduate than their female counterparts. While 59% of African American females graduated, only 48% of African American males earned a high school diploma (Greene & Winters, 2006). The relatively low high school graduation rate among African American males is believed by some to be directly linked to the rapid growth of the number of young African American males whose educational opportunities are truncated in elementary and middle school because of multiple suspensions and expulsions, referral to special education curricula (Day-Vines & Day-Hairston, 2005) as well as involvement and/or incarceration in the criminal/juvenile justice system (Mincy, Charles, Lewis, & Han, 2006). Moreover, some have argued that employment and earnings of African American males may be negatively affected by a prior history of incarceration (Western, 2002; Western & Pettit, 2005). Further, high rates of incarceration among African American males may even reduce employment prospects for those African American males with no criminal background (Holzer, Raphael, & Stoll, 2006). African American males are also confronted with a number of challenges related to their physical health. For example; recent data indicates that the incidence rate of cancer among African American males is 19% higher than that of White males. Moreover, the mortality rate of cancer is 37% higher among African American males than it is for White males (Jemal et al., 2008). Further, African American males have the highest incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer in the world and die from the disease at a rate 2.3 times that of White men (Woods, Montgomery, Belliard, Johnson, & Wilson, 2004). African American males have also been found to be at increased risk for hypertension (Hefferman, Jae, Wilund, Woods, & Fernhall, 2008), diabetes (Liburd, NamageyoFuna, Jack, & Gregg, 2004), heart attack, and stroke (CDC – Office of Minority Health, 2009). Consequently, African American males have an average life expectancy of 69.7 years compared to 77.7 years for all US population groups (Arias, 2010; Harper, Lynch, Burris, & Smith, 2007). Mental health is yet another area of challenge for African American males. The onset of chronic stress, depression, somatization, and other forms of mental illness may be linked