RAISING HIM ALONE: Things Black Women Can do to Raise Black Boys to be Men

EMPOWERING SINGLE MOTHERS RAISING MALE CHILDREN


RAISING HIM ALONE: Things Black Women Can do to Raise Black Boys to be Men

By David Miller and Matthew P. Stevens



“Raising Him Alone” by David Miller and Matthew P. Stevens is a must read book for single mothers!" -- recommended by Ella Curry, president of EDC Creations Media Group



Raising Him Alone is more than just a book!  It is a source of inspiration for millions of single mothers who struggle daily with the challenges of raising healthy and productive boys to responsible men.   Raising Him Alone honors the struggles of single mothers raising boys through providing daily lessons that range from talking to boys about sex to assisting mothers with the process of dating.

Many of the statistics on Black men and boys are painful and are often daunting. For example, the most recent report on graduation rates among African American males published by the Schott Foundation indicates that in many US cities African American males are dropping out at rates that exceed 65%. The cities include but are not limited to Indianapolis, Detroit and Baltimore. With the lowest graduation rates in the nation among African American males, Indianapolis and Detroit’s graduation rates can only be viewed as a public health concern. We rarely hear about the countless numbers of mothers who are successfully raising boys alone. The book underscores the need for mothers to be more willing than ever to sacrifice to support positive Black male development. This sacrifice includes developing a greater understanding of contemporary issues that affect Black males as well as getting mothers and fathers to be willing to reconcile old wounds.

The book serves as a voice of reason that tells us how important it is to rescue our boys from failing communities and failing schools. Finally, we hope that Raising Him Alone compels mothers to band together to address the challenges of being a single mother. After reading Raising Him Alone, please make sure you pass this book along to other mothers who can benefit from the lessons and the wisdom of others who have successfully navigated the world of being a single parent.  Visit the website for parenting resources, articles, video inspiration and so much more!  Purchase the book, “Raising Him Alone” here: http://www.raisinghimalone.com/products.htm 



About The Raising Him Alone Campaign
The Raising Him Alone Campaign is the vision of David Miller and Matt Stevens. It is based on Miller and Stevens' collective work to improve the life chances of African American males. Miller and Stevens were compelled to join forces to create an advocacy campaign that focused specifically on supporting single mothers raising boys.

The campaign is based on numerous conversations with local and national organizations on ways to better support African American boys. Additionally, Miller & Stevens hosted a series of focus groups and interviews with single mothers raising boys across the U.S. to determine the successes and challenges which confront these families. Overwhelmingly, mothers indicated issues related to understanding male development, issues with their sons father's and financial constraints as major challenges in their lives.

The campaign acknowledges that nationwide several groups are doing an exceptional job working with African American boys from an academic and social developmental standpoint, however few organizations are working with the parents of these boys.

The Raising Him Alone Campaign recognizes that there has been a total disregard for the voices of single mothers living in urban communities. Such neglect of mothers raising boys has created some alarming trends among African American boys. To this end, the campaign believes that by increasing awareness around the need to connect single mothers to greater access to services (mental health, financial literacy, strategies for parenting a male child and strategies to support school achievement of male children) we can produce more positive outcomes for African American boys.

The campaign focuses on four areas identified as key benchmarks in addressing positive outcomes for single mothers and their sons. The campaign's approach to provide greater advocacy and supporting parents gaining access to community based services. The following are the four key campaign areas:

Health & Well Being (Mental Health)

•Black males have the worst health status of any other race-sex group.
•Black males have the second lowest life expectancy at birth second only to Native American men.
•Black males have the highest death rate from all causes and the highest death rates from cancer, cardiovascular disease & homicides.
•Black male have the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections.


Educational Support & Advocacy

•Black males account for 8.62% of total enrollment in the nation's elementary and secondary schools, but account for 21.69% of total expulsions.
•Forty-two percent of all Black boys have failed an entire grade at least once.
•The national average high school graduation rate for Black boys is 47%.


Financial Literacy (African American Community)

•Nearly six of 10 children living with only their mother were near (or below) the poverty line.
•Of the 19 million children of single parents, two thirds live in rented homes.


Reconnecting Fathers & Sons
Children From Fatherless Homes More Likely To:
•Commit Suicide (5 Times)
•Have behavioral disorder (20 Times)
•Drop out of school (9 Times)
•Abuse drugs (10 Times)
•Go to prison (20 Times)

Raising Him Alone (RHA) is dedicated to researching, designing, and implementing a campaign to support the social well being of single mothers raising boys. Through a series of intense community forums, workshops and support group initiatives, RHA seeks to increase access to resources in the areas of Health & Well Being (Mental Health), Educational Support & Advocacy, as well as Financial Literacy.

For more information on Raising Him Alone, the campaign schedule of events and resources visit, http://www.raisinghimalone.com/.   For more information on David Miller, visit http://www.urbanleadershipinstitute.com/.


Brought to you by EDC Creations and Black Pearls Magazine. Visit the magazine here: http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/