October 24, 2011 By James
The schools in urban America have become virtual feeder systems for America’s prisons. There is no greater source of feeding than the black male, especially when he remains uneducated. Some experts wonder if these men and women are deliberately uneducated, since the prisons are able to earn billions from free labor being provided by those who are trapped in the system.
Annsonita Robinson at RollingOut.com highlights the disparities quite well:
For the health of the economic future of the country, lawmakers know the high school graduation rate must improve. It is estimated that nearly a quarter of those who entered high school this year will not graduate according to a new report by the National Center for Education Statistics. High school dropouts cost between $320 billion and $350 billion in lost wages, taxable income, health care, incarcerations, and other social services. The difference in lifetime wages between a dropout and one who earns a GED is approximately $630,000.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, the 2009 dropout rate for African Americans stood at 9.3 percent compared to whites at 5.2 percent. Also in 2009, the dropout rate for low-income students was five times greater than their high-income counterparts — 7.4 percent compared with 1.4 percent.
Atlanta Select Basketball Association is committed to fight this battle and prevent our young men of all colors from going to prison. We must emphasize the need to stay in school.
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