The first phase of the city’s study on Black male equity found that residents identified limited access to affordable housing and living-wage jobs as among the top inequities holding Black men and boys back in Boston, according to a summary of the findings.
The issues are “interconnected, systemic challenges, rooted in inequitable conditions that shape health and opportunity,” according to a statement from Mayor Michelle Wu’s office.
The study was launched in August 2024 as a collaboration between Wu’s office, the city’s Office of Black Male Advancement, the Black Men and Boys Commission, and the Tury Research Institute.
The summary of the report was released last week.
Among the other disparities faced by Black men and boys locally are shortfalls in education, health issues, access to mental health services, criminal legal exposure, and lack of awareness about available services, the report said.
“The evidence is clear on what Black males identify as most urgent and on why existing resources are often not experienced as reachable or trustworthy,” the summary of the report said. “The next step is not more fragmentation.”
In a statement, Frank Farrow, executive director of the Office of Black Male Advancement, said the first phase of the study “represents a critical milestone in our commitment to advancing equity for Black men and boys in Boston.”
“This is not just a report, it is a road map,” Farrow’s statement said. “Our focus moving forward is to translate these insights into targeted strategies, stronger partnerships, and real outcomes that expand access, build trust, and create pathways to prosperity.”
The findings of Phase 1 will be used to frame future planning, reporting, and actions across departments to reduce barriers and level the playing field for Black men and boys in Boston.
The report documents “the voices and experiences of our residents to guide priorities across departments,” Wu said in the statement. “I’m grateful to the Office of Black Male Advancement, the Black Men and Boys Commission, the Tury Institute, and every resident who contributed to this critical effort. We look forward to continuing our work together to build on Boston’s progress.”
More than 2,000 Boston residents participated in the study. Their feedback was combined with information gathered from citywide survey data, stakeholder interviews, deliberative engagement sessions, and community outreach.
“As a Roxbury native and former city councilor, I’ve long believed that Boston must take a hard, honest look at the inequities facing Black men and boys, and act on what we find,” Tito Jackson, former chair of the Black Men and Boys Commission, said in the statement.
“During my time as chair of the commission, advancing this equity study was about building accountability and grounding our work in the lived experiences of our community,” Jackson said. “Phase 1 delivers on that vision.”
The priorities highlighted in the report include pathways to careers and living-wage jobs, housing affordability, access to transportation and childcare, and mental health support that fit with Black men’s lived experiences.
For Black boys, the report recommended improvements to education quality, mentorship, community safety, and minimizing exposure to criminal courts.
Bindu Kalesan, chief executive officer of the Boston-based Tury Research Institute, said this “consequential project ... centers the lives, experiences, and needs of Black male residents in Boston.
“We hope the findings will inform and move the needle towards accountable action toward structural equity,” Kalesan said in the statement.
Maddrey Goode, chair of the Black Men and Boys Commission, said the study “puts real voices and real experiences at the center, and what we’re hearing is clear: Our communities are navigating systems that weren’t built with them in mind.”
“As the new chair, my focus is on building on the progress of my predecessor,” Goode said in the statement. “How do we close the gaps, rebuild trust, and make sure Black men and boys can actually see and feel the impact of this work in their daily lives? That’s the standard we’re holding.”
The second phase of the study will be completed over the next year. It will provide a detailed set of recommendations and will provide a citywide resource guide, covering 150 resources across 50 city departments, along with an asset map of services available to Black male residents in Boston.
Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.