Pursuing Peace Amidst the Mass Incarceration of Black Males

A Challenge for Community Engaged Researchers

Abstract

There can be no peace in this nation without first addressing the crisis of mass incarceration among Black males. To address this concern, it is necessary to explore the experiences of those affected through community engaged research and involve these individuals in developing solutions to address this problem. I am a graduate student in the IU School of Education at IUPUI pursuing a doctorate in Urban Studies. I am studying about the impacts on communities when Black boys are poorly educated in leaky K-12 pipelines and grow up to be disproportionately incarcerated. My research asks, what were the motivations, barriers and resources impacting the experiences of African American males who were incarcerated and then decide to pursue an education after they have been released into our communities. I want to know in what ways does achieving more education, getting a high school diploma or a bachelor’s degree, affect their lives and our communities? Community engaged and community based participatory researchers need to ask questions about the effects of this phenomenon.