Challenges facing African-American communities in the Deep South as perceived by male residents and community leaders

Background: African-American males living in resource-poor communities are vulnerable to isolation and disconnection from the mainstream.  It is critical to address how to reach and engage them and to enhance their future trajectories.  We used the capital-based theoretical perspective to examine the multi-dimensional phenomenon of health disparity, school dropout, unemployment, and crime that persist in a southern urban community. 

Methods: Through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, individual surveys, and community ethnography procedures, we ascertained the perceptions, experiences and beliefs of three audience segments: (1) sexually active young African American males (ages 18 to 24); (2)  parents/relatives/guardians of young African American males and community citizens; and (3) various community leaders (e.g., service providers/clinicians, school personnel, police officers). 

Results: The results revealed multiple unmet needs, from experiencing challenging conditions in school (e.g., failure, disconnect), the community (e.g., poverty, violence, lack of transportation, racism, dearth of pro-social opportunities, peer pressure for early sexual initiation, prostitution) and/or within their homes (e.g., addictions, child maltreatment, lack of parent/caregiver involvement).  The participants also rated unemployment, substandard quality education, and lack of job/career training as the most important issues facing their community. 

Implications: They recognized the great need for health equity as well as economic rehabilitation in the community.  Unemployment in southern urban communities is causing serious repercussions for minority males, their families and communities as a whole.  Providing opportunity for employment education and training developed and operated by community members may be an essential commodity for revitalizing communities and reversing the growing health disparities.