WASHINGTON – Noting that 2019 marks the 400th year since the first enslaved Africans arrived on North American soil, members of Congress and leaders of organizations that serve young Black males gathered outside the U.S. Capitol building Tuesday afternoon to announce the introduction of a House resolution to create a Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys.
For four centuries, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, said, “Black men and boys have had a target on our backs. And, yes, we’ve made tremendous progress in America, we’ve come a long way. But we still have a long way to go.” 
Introduced by Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-FL, House Resolution 1636 would establish a bipartisan 19-member commission to study social problems that plague Black males and recommend solutions – and inform legislation that will be crafted regarding reparations for Black American descendants of slaves.
“All too often, Black males in America are treated as their own class of citizens,” said Wilson, citing disparities in various aspects of well-being that begin in childhood. “They are rarely given the benefit of the doubt. They are labeled ‘delinquent,’ not ‘rowdy.’ They are ‘hardened criminals,’ not ‘misguided youth.”
The act is an attempt to address at a national level hardships that disproportionately affect Black men and boys in a wide range of areas, including employment, health, education, violence, criminal justice, fatherhood and mentorship. And to make the issue a national priority.
“These hardships have negative consequences for national productivity, especially for Black families and communities,” the resolution notes.
The commission, which would be housed in the federal Commission on Civil Rights Office under the staff director, would meet quarterly with the first meeting occurring within 30 days of all initial commissioners being appointed.
