A conversation on the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys

Momentum is building to address the most severe and pervasive problems facing Black people in America, due in large part to the disproportional impact of the pandemic on Black communities and widespread racialized violence. Black boys and men, in particular, run the gauntlet of a specific brand of racism, at the sharp intersection of race and gender. The result is a longstanding pattern of poor intergenerational outcomes for them. The unique challenges facing Black boys and men require a specific set of policy responses, from the earliest days of life through adulthood.

In August 2020, President Trump signed bipartisan legislation to create the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, a 19-member council tasked with studying the social status of Black men and boys and recommending policy solutions. Now that commission members have been appointed and have convened twice, what exactly is the role of a congressional commission, and what should President Biden and the commission focus their energy on? On Monday, March 14, experts, members of Congress, and members of the commission discussed the unique role of the newly established commission.

Viewers submitted questions for speakers by emailing events@brookings.edu or via Twitter using #BlackMenandBoysCommission.