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For some to say that black men are slowly becoming an endangered species is over the top.  Yet reading statistics on the murder, education and socioeconomic disparities between young, black males and males of other races suggests that the state of the black male in America could be on the brink of combustion.

According to Vindy.com, the online news source of The Vindicator, the Youngstown, Ohio city school district is launching a program that will target ninth grade boys, encouraging them to achieve academically and graduate from high school.

The program, Beating Our Achievement Gap Together or BOAT, will be funded with a $545,632 state grant which is renewable for a second year at the same funding level.

Vindy.com reports that this is part of Youngstown Governor Ted Strickland’s effort to change the graduation and achievement levels of all first-time male ninth grade students, specifically black males. Strickland says black males is the group most at risk for dropping out of school.

In Ohio the percentages of male graduates reveals that black males fall below their white and Hispanic counterparts.  Components of the program include: increasing academic achievement, decreasing suspensions, increasing graduation rates and improving school/community relations.  The district also will hire two community linkage coordinators.

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