The Head of the Fish “Addressing the Pipeline Crisis"

“The Pipeline Crisis: Winning Strategies for Young Black Men” July 13, 2007 second plenary session of a year-old initiative, seeking to pool the talents, know how and resources of the legal, financial services and private business communities to address the rising rates of incarceration, drop outs and joblessness among young African American males. The initiative was launched by Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Goldman Sachs & Co. and the Harvard Law School’s Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice, seeking to draw upon the resources of the financial, philanthropic and education communities to address the issues and significantly improve opportunities for young black men. The group has identified “areas of urgent need”: early childhood development, criminal justice, and opportunities for high achievers. A 2006 Race and Justice study, NERA Economic Consulting, concludes that Blacks in the last decade lost more than $2 trillion in income due to the earnings gap, excessive unemployment and over-incarceration relative to whites.