State of the U.S. black male

Today, the New York Times published a story on the state of the American black male. According to the article with the shift from factory jobs in this country, unskilled workers of all races have lost ground, but none more so than blacks. The author of the article attributes the problem to black men in inner cities not finishing high school (more than half of all black boys in urban cities do not finish high school). I pulled some of the issues from the article below:

• By 2004, 50 percent of black men in their 20's who lacked a college education were jobless, as were 72 percent of high school dropouts (twice the rate for white and Hispanic men).

By the time black men reach their mid-30's, 30 percent of black men with no more than a high school education have served time in prison, and 60 percent of high school dropouts.

Among black dropouts in their late 20's, more are in prison on a given day — 34 percent — than are working — 30 percent.

50% of all black men in their late 20's and early 30's who did not go to college are noncustodial fathers.

Black men are really falling behind in America. As a black man that happened to graduate from high school and several colleges, I'm not quite sure if the issue is education or if it is the social constraints of society. Society puts pressure on black men to fit a certain mold (tone of voice) to get a job. More black men would likely find suitable employment if they actually left the urban cities for rural or moderate sized towns. The redistribution of poor blacks from the Gulf region after Katrina provided new career opporunities personal growth. Society should think about providing job and education training to help single men escape the black hole they face.