More young black men are killing each other, and it’s time to stop the madness, says a recent report from Northeastern University which calls for reinvesting in prevention and crime control.

Rajeev Ravinsakar of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University considers the report’s findings in light of the “post-racial” claims surrounding President-Elect Obama’s rise, and the fate of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the economic recession.

Where is this post-racialism?

By Rajeev Ravisankar, Research Assistant at the Kirwan Institute

A recent study released by Northeastern University shows a disturbing rise in the number of young African-Americans involved in fatal violence. From 2002 to 2007, “the number of homicides involving black male juveniles as victims rose by 31% and as perpetrators by 43%.” (footnote #1) A cursory glance at the responses by news readers and bloggers indicates that some believe this trend is a result of the inability of families and community institutions to address the situation. The study’s authors James Alan Fox and Marc Swatt identify contributing factors such as availability of firearms, attraction to gangs, and lack of funding by the Bush administration for crime prevention and policing. Fortunately, they also consider the dire socioeconomic realities faced by communities and call for reinvestment and an “at-risk youth bailout.”

Another development receiving media attention is the fate of prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These institutions played a critical role in providing higher education opportunities for African-Americans when they were denied access due to Jim Crow era segregation. For example, the 127 year old Morris Brown College had its water supply cut off by the city of Atlanta, and needed a community fundraiser to pay the bill. Administrators at the college are in negotiations to prevent one of its buildings from being auctioned. Facing financial difficulties, a Republican state senator in Georgia introduced a controversial proposal suggesting that historically black Albany State University and Savannah State University merge with predominately white universities. (footnote #2)

These two seemingly unrelated stories are connected in some way when considered in the context of the school to prison pipeline. Many factors reinforce the pipeline such as poverty, discipline oriented education, lack of access to mental healthcare, early entry into the criminal justice system, the oppressive nature of policing, and the conditioning of youths in a patriarchal society that fetishizes violence. Education is essential in disrupting the pipeline, but without independently functioning higher education institutions that serve minorities the adverse impact is both real and symbolic.

In a sociopolitical environment that is widely (and incorrectly) viewed as post-racial, attacking such intractable problems comes with a new set of challenges. While the celebration around Barack Obama’s victory is understandable, the real work has to happen now at the grassroots level. The amount of sacrifice and effort required during the Presidential election must be sustained with the same intensity in order to alleviate the issues that continue to persist in communities across the country.

Footnotes:
#1. Fox, James Alan and Marc Swatt. “The Recent Surge in Homicides involving Young Black Males and Guns: Time to Reinvest in Prevention and Crime Control”
http://nuweb.neu.edu/jfox/Documents/Fox%20Swatt%20Homicide%20Report%20Dec%2029%202008.pdf
Ludden, Jennifer. “Bucking Trend, Homicides Among Black Youths Rise”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98794212&ft=1&f=2
#2. Green, Sadiq. “Will Black Colleges Survive Era of Obama?” http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/263628

The Recent Surge in Homicides involving Young Black Males and Guns:
Time to Reinvest in Prevention and Crime Control

Summary of Findings

By James Alan Fox, Ph.D., The Lipman Family Professor of Criminal Justice, and Professor of Law, Policy & Society
and Marc L. Swatt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Northeastern University

While overall homicide levels in the United States have fluctuated minimally in recent years, those involving young victims and perpetrators—particularly young black males—have surged.

From 2002 to 2007, the number of homicides involving black male juveniles as victims rose by 31% and as perpetrators by 43%. In terms of gun killings involving this same population subgroup, the increases were even more pronounced: 54% for young black male victims and 47% for young black male perpetrators.

The increase in homicide among black youth, coupled with a smaller increase or even decrease among their white counterparts, was consistently true for every region of the country and nearly all population groupings of cities. The pattern also held individually for a majority of states and major cities.

After some decline during the 1990s, the percentage of homicides that involve a gun has increased since 2000, both among young white offenders and black offenders of all age ranges. The percentage of gun homicides for young black offenders has reached nearly 85%. These trends are concomitant with various legislative initiatives at the federal level that have lessened the extent of surveillance on illegal gun markets.

Time-of-day patterns of violent crime victimization for youngsters, ages 6-17, reveal clear differences between school days and out-of-school periods. On school days, the risk spikes during the after-school hours—the primetime for juvenile crime—while the late evening hours are most problematic on non-school days, particularly summertime weekends.

Future demographics suggest that the concern for at-risk youth should increase over the next decade. The number of black and Hispanic children should continue to expand, contrasting with the rather limited increase expected among Caucasian children. There is a significant need for reinvestment in children and families—in essence an at-risk youth bailout during these difficult economic times.

Federal support for policing and youth violence prevention has declined sharply in recent years, perhaps precipitated by complacency brought about by the significant 1990s decline in crime. The resurgence in homicide, especially among minority youth, signals the importance of restoring federal funds for crime prevention and crime control.

View the full report. (PDF)