50 Percent of Black Males Get Arrested by Age 23: Study Is Wrong - The Root: Here’s what a research study feels like to a black male teenager: “To be seen as a person with a name ... then poof! A statistic, a memory and, to many, a shame,” said an 11th-grader named Asa Fludd.
I repeat this quote often to remind social advocates and cultural critics alike that our reckless recital of mind-numbing statistics is a burden to millions of young black men.
This week, countless media outlets bemoaned a study’s findings suggesting that 49 percent of black males and 38 percent of white males have been arrested by the time they turn 23. If you are the parent of a black male, these stats suggest that the hue of your son’s skin could make his likelihood of being arrested akin to a coin toss. In reality, parents of white males should also be worried that nearly 40 percent of their sons’ peers will be marred by a criminal record, but at least they can take solace in the fact that their sons fare better than black males.
