PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Just hours after signing her budget into law on Friday, Mayor Cherelle Parker appointed new leaders to her office’s Commission on African American Males.
The commission, which became permanent in 2016 under Mayor Michael Nutter, is tasked with advising the mayor on policy and more to improve outcomes for Black men and boys in the city.
“We’re counting on you to help us end the school-to-prison pipeline, identify ways that we can support Black men financially and physically and emotionally,” Parker said.
The commission’s appointment comes at a time when violence across the city is down, but Parker says she isn’t throwing a party.
According to the City Controller’s Office, 80% of all gun violence victims so far this year are Black and almost 90% are male.
“All of these statistics are sad, but we have to acknowledge them, and we can’t act like they don’t exist if we’re going to develop concrete solutions to address them,” Parker said.
Parker says her main focus is giving Black men more economic opportunity.
“That’s when we talk about creating entrepreneurs, who’s going to own the businesses?”
According to a 2021 Pew study, “Philadelphia's economic recovery and growth in the age of COVID,” less than 6% of all businesses in Philadelphia were Black-owned.
“We want to make sure we are giving you what you need… and it’s not just a fist in the air — the fists in the air have been free,” Parker said, “share the economic pie with me and that’s how you show me that you’re down.”