Oakland Tries to Even the Odds for African-American Boys

In Oakland, California, African-American boys are more likely to miss school, be suspended, not graduate on time or be incarcerated than any other students. Over the past 10 years, 787 black boys and men in the city have been victims of homicide. During that same time, just 802 graduated high school college-ready. Against that backdrop, the Oakland school district created the African-American Male Achievement Office in 2010. It offers mentorship programs that pair black boys with black men, providing support to stay academically focused and off the streets.
This documentary video, reported by Joshua Johnson and produced by Nicole Atkinson Roach, will broadcast on This Week in Northern California 7:30pm August 23rd on KQED-9. It is part of the Even Odds series, a collaboration between KQED and the San Francisco Chronicle, which for the past year has been documenting efforts to address the daunting challenges faced by African-American males in Oakland.