African American Males : A Critical Link in the African American Family

African American families have demonstrated their strengths and survival skills through many generations, from slavery to the present time. As the African American middle class has grown over the last two decades, so have their numbers among elected officials and in business. Despite this, African Americans are experiencing extreme stress, but African American males appear to suffer the most. The disproportionate share of African American male inmates in the United States, the high homicidal rate, the astronomical rise and spread of the AIDS virus, and the continuing growth of drug abuse, all suggest that the African American male may be becoming an endangered species. In order to save the African American family. the structural and environmental conditions that give rise to these negative conditions must be studied. The chapters in this volume address some of the pressing issues affecting African American men. Chapters and contributors include: "Reaffirming Young African American Males: Mentoring and Community Involvement by Fraternities and Other Groups" by Dionne J. Jones. Victor E. Bibbins, and Ronald D. Henderson; "Health Status of African American Men" by Lawrence E. Gary; "Urban Adolescent Homicidal Violence: An Emerging Public Health Concern" by Ronald K. Barrett; and "Pastoral Counseling with African American Men" by Edward P. Wimberly. African American Males affirms that this segment of the population is a precious resource, and as such, they must be nurtured throughout their lives. The current situation makes for structural unbalance in American society as a whole, no less than within African American communities as such. This book will be of interest to sociologists, psychologists, and black studies specialists.