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Hosted September 27th – 28th, 2024
The emergency convening hosted by Racial Justice NOW!, “Beyond the Pale: the Vilification of Black Men and Boys” was an overwhelming success and was fully supported by the Black and African American Community of Montgomery County, Maryland and the Washington D.C. metro area. The event was held at Yoshow Place in Rockville, Maryland just a few miles from where the Montgomery County, Maryland Council meet and make decisions.
The emergency convening was the brainchild of Racial Justice NOW! Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, who was notified that there had been a recent spike in suicides of Black boys in Montgomery County, Maryland- a most alarming trend. This information multiplied by other factors, sprung Zakiya and RJN! into action.
RJN! was also privy to additional factors that community members found deeply troubling that provided motivation for this emergency convening, including a most recent Maryland House Bill 814 that RJN! and many others (including the ACLU of Maryland) worked against vehemently , only to be signed into law by Governor Wes Moore.
“ …discussing the current political landscape insofar as mass incarceration, and the abominable so-called “justice, justUS system.” These folk are quietly reestablishing the same criminalization tactics from the 94’ crime bill with them completely focused now on widening that net to Black male CHILDREN! Literally…sadly, Maryland was not the only state signing into law the ability to incarcerate, jail, cage children as young as ten, these are babies, haven’t even been through puberty. It’s terrible and as I described in the local media during the fight to stop this, it is uncivilized. It is unacceptable, sadly as a nation, even the world, have normalized Black male oppression and death.”
-Zakiya Sankara-Jabar
Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director
Racial Justice NOW!
After receiving the news of an upward trend in Black boy suicides in the county, RJN! leaders held meetings with the Montgomery County, Maryland County Executive and other elected officials to create solutions to this community problem. After finding limited will and effort to turn this statistic around, RJN! called in Dr. Tommy J. Curry (University of Edinburgh) and other specialists to come to the county to deliver solutions, and the emergency convening “Beyond the Pale: the Vilification of Black Men and Boys” was born!
With nearly two hundred registrants for the event, attendees were in awe by the presentations on these three Black male PHD scholars who held particular expertise in Black Male studies, Psychiatry, and Psychology. Each of the scholars, Dr. Tommy J. Curry, Dr. William Smith (Utah University), and Dr. Evan Auguste (University of Boston) gave jaw dropping presentations that included solutions.
Racial Justice NOW! made history by hosting this ‘emergency convening’. The videos of the event are being made public so that our community can move forward. Thank you to all of our sponsors, supporters, allies, attendees, the speakers and participants, and to the many that sent well wishes of success!
“Also, please keep in mind all of this comes on the heels of Maryland passing into law HB814 which will now allow children as young as 10 years old to be handcuffed and JAILED even before they’ve had due process and have been found “involved” what is essentially being found “guilty” for an adult. As y’all know we fought like hell to stop this travesty that we knew based on current data and history quite frankly that the only children who will be jailed at 10 will be Black boys.
This is deep! A state with the only Black Governor in the country, a Black woman speaker of the Maryland house of delegates and the largest legislative Black caucus in the country gave us a bill that expands mass incarceration and feeds the carceral system with Black male children. The systemic hate and vilification has been normalized for this group of people in this country and beyond. That is UNACCEPTABLE! The time is NOW to make this necessary intervention to literally save the very lives of Black male children.”
-Zakiya Sankara-Jabar
Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director
Racial Justice NOW!
What’s Happening?
In Maryland, we have seen a trifecta of issues plague Black boys: increased substance abuse, increased youth incarceration, and–most tragically–increased rates of suicide. The systemic hate and vilification has been normalized against our sons and our brothers in this country is unacceptable. We need to act now to literally save the very lives of our Black male children. On Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28 Racial Justice NOW! hosted a most historic gathering, an ’emergency convening’ or an immediate intervention into this madness. The first day of the convening was a deep dive to unpack the historical and political implications undergirding this crisis with Dr Tommy J. Curry as the Keynote, who was followed by Utah University Professor Dr. William Smith and University of Massachusetts Boston Professor Dr. Evan Auguste. The second day was a platform for existing models that have demonstrated a record of positive impact on the material conditions of Black boys and men.
Why Now?
Young people have faced deep struggles coming out of the global pandemic, which burdened them with too much isolation, grief, and loss too soon. However, we’ve witnessed the most pronounced distress among Black youth, and Black boys in particular. Meanwhile, when our children need support, they are met with violence by those in power. Maryland just passed HB814, which allows fourth graders to be handcuffed and jailed even before they’ve had due process. And we all know, based on current data and history, the children who will be jailed at 10 years old will be Black boys. It happened here–in a state with the only Black Governor in the country, a Black woman speaker of the house of delegates, and the largest legislative Black caucus–FLAT OUT UNACCEPTABLE and we know it’s happening everywhere else too.
ACLU of Maryland
Columbia Community Care
Greater Washington Community Foundation
Kolibri Foundation
Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle
Meyer Foundation
Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth, and Families
RAS Entertainment
Safe Space Strategies
Silver Spring Justice Coalition
YoShow Place
Jews United for Justice
Opponents to juvenile justice bill call on governor to veto it once it passes (wmar2news.com)
Advocates to Gov. Moore: Veto juvenile justice measures – Maryland Matters
Valarie Davis
The Black Coalition For Excellence In Education, Montgomery County, Maryland
Yanet Amanuel, ACLU Maryland Director of Policy
“I was lucky enough to attend the convening organized Racial Justice Now and be a part of something that centered black men and boys humanity !!!! It was refreshing to be in a space where for once I felt as a Black man people understood the assignment”
Antonio Travis
Youth Organizing Manager for FFLIC
Founder of Black Man Rising Movement
New Orleans, Louisiana
Dignity in Schools Campaign, Coordinating Committee member
New York, New York
“Being able to be apart of such a powerful event may have been one of the highlights of my year. Being in a room with so much Black wisdom and experience reignited my sense of purpose and motivated me to go harder for my community. This is an event that everyone, no matter their background, can walk away feeling fulfilled. “
Darryl Jeffries, Program Director,
STAND Mentorship, Howard County, Maryland
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