Oakland is one of the best U.S. cities for embracing initiatives that better the lives of black men and boys, according to an index released Thursday.
The index was compiled by Campaign for Black Male Achievement, or CBMA, a national network representing 2,500 organizations and programs across the U.S. and funded by nonprofits like The California Endowment, Skillman Foundation and the Knight Foundation, to name a few.
Oakland scored a 95, tied with Washington, D.C. and Detroit for best on the list of 50 cities. San Francisco scored a 47.
The scoring system was based on several factors, including the demographics of black males compared to the overall population, the number of national programs benefiting black males, the amount of targeted funding from nonprofits and how many local organizations are members of the CBMA.
Oakland was credited particularly for the Oakland Unified School District's African American Male Achievement Office, a program started in 2010 to help black male students graduate. Chris Chatmon, director of the School District's achievement program, said the program emphasized restorative justice for students, instead of heavy-handed punishment and suspensions. Specialized classes were created to highlight historical black leaders and inspire students.
To continue reading this story by Mike Blasky, go to: http://www.mercurynews.com/cri...ack-male-achievement
For the entire report, go to: http://cityindex.blackmaleachievement.org/
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