Morgan, J. (1995). The vanishing black male: Saving our sons; videoconference panel decries negative images, program cuts. Black Issues in Higher Education, 11(26), 34.

Our psyches are bombarded daily with negative images of the Black male as criminal, drug dealer, pimp, thief and murderer. Yet many Black men are strong, productive members of society. It is, however, the negative images that are most prevalent and most destructive — coming at a time when the Black male is faced with intense political challenges, said Kojo Nnamdi, moderator for Black Issues In Higher Education’s seventh annual Black History Month kickoff celebration videoconference, “The Vanishing Black Male: Saving Our Sons.” These observations and some solutions to them were discussed by a teleconference panel of the Rev. Al Sharpton, political activist and orator; Jacqueline Brown, of the Human Relations Department of Howard County, MD, public schools; Thomas Dortch, president of 100 Black Men of America; Julianne Malveaux, columnist and radio show host; Haki Madhubuti, poet, writer and publisher of Third World Press; and Eric Thomas, youth motivational speaker. This harassment may be focused on the way the Black male walks, wears a cap or on his energetic behavior. Also, the show brought out the observation that many teachers, especially white females, actually fear their Black male students. Once interest in school is lost, it is often replaced by interest in street life and the lure of making lots of money through drugs and other illegal activity. The lack of formal education increases the likelihood of regular unemployment, said author Nathan McCall, and often a life of crime naturally follows. The eventuality is death or time spent in the nation’s prisons, which now house more than 1 million men.