Oakland program for black males on White House radar

David Johns, director of the national initiative for young men of color, meets students at Oakland High School. David Johns, director of the national initiative for young men of color, meets students at Oakland High School. Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Lacy Atkins, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close Oakland program for black males on White House radar 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

Less than two weeks after President Obama launched a $200 million initiative to help young men of color succeed in school and in life, his point person sat in an Oakland High School classroom with two dozen black male teens and asked them what the White House should know about them.

Their answer was simple: We are not statistics. We are not just numbers.

"We are real people living real lives," said David Johns, executive director of the president's Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, recounting the students' words from the closed-door session. "All we want is for people to see us."

The numbers, as cited by the Obama administration, are glaring.

Black and Hispanic men are more than six times as likely to be murdered than their white peers.

By fourth grade, the vast majority of African American and Hispanic boys are reading below proficiency levels.

In Oakland, the number of black males who were ready for college when they graduated from high school over the last decade was nearly the same as the number of black males killed in the city.

Failing in school

The city of Oakland started focusing on the high rate of African American males failing in school, not progressing to college and getting into trouble with the law four years ago, launching the African American Male Achievement Office in the district to address the needs of young black men. Three years ago, the first students enrolled in Manhood Development classes, created for and by black males.

In addition, programs across the city have highlighted the specific issues facing boys and men of color, including community violence, mental health needs, lack of male role models as well as offering academic and personal support to send the students to college.

Oakland's programs drew the attention of Obama's national initiative, My Brother's Keeper.

Johns said his visit to the East Bay wasn't accidental. The efforts have been on the White House radar for some time.

"I'm here to listen," Johns said. "The secretary (of education) often talks about how the best ideas don't come from Washington."

The president's program will be funded by corporate and philanthropic donations, with a task force identifying how the federal government can support and promote effective programs.

In Oakland, initial indicators show the district's program is increasing attendance and reducing suspensions.

Julian Taylor, 16, was among the first Manhood Development students at Oakland High three years ago. Now a junior, he's taking Advanced Placement courses and is a standout basketball player.

'A lot of support'

"I've grown as a person since being in it," Julian said. "It gives me a lot of support."

And yet the statistics are stubborn. Of the 22 students who started with Julian, there are eight left. The others have either moved away or left school while at least one landed in the juvenile justice system.

There are no easy answers, said Oakland High Principal Matin Abdel-qawi. The lives of the students are complicated, their needs far from generic and the streets can be very attractive.

"For a lot of reasons (black males) don't do well in these four walls," said Abdel-qawi, who dreams of an academy at the school for African American boys that includes a range of courses for them.

"We can cater a program solely for African American males with them in mind," he said. "They could become assets to the community rather than leeches on it or someone who takes away from our society."