IN HR0080

Marks Young Black Males Legislative Day on March 31, 2015, when 250 students from around Indiana gathered at the Statehouse to advocate for governmental representation.

Notes that Black males are incarcerated at six times the rate of white males, comprising 37 percent of Indiana Department of Correction inmates despite representing only 9.5 percent of the state population.

Documents that African-American males comprise over 75 percent of defendants in Indianapolis and experience out-of-school suspensions at 27 percent, tied for the second highest rate among all states.

Highlights disparities in educational outcomes, with African-American male high school graduation rates at 38 percent compared to 70 percent for white males.

Calls for prioritizing investment in young Black males' futures at all levels of government to address cycles of poverty and low expectations.