black community can be complicated topic.

Black men face higher rates of incarceration and unemployment than most other demographic groups.

And therefore reports show they're more likely to be locked out of economic opportunities that exclusion can play strains on families.

But as we approach this Father's Day, research shows new ways to support black fathers and therefore entire communities.

Joining us to discuss more, our Richard Wallace, founder and director of Equity and Transformation, a nonprofit that advocates for equity for black workers and Arthur Andersen, whose on the Board of Trustees and Bright Point a child and Family Service organization.

Thank you to you both for joining us So Richard, want to start with you, please, because you Co authored a study called breaking the chains reclaiming wealth, power and dignity for black showcasing stories of black men, including some who are formerly incarcerated from Chicago's a south and west side.

So I want to talk about some of your findings.

First.

Slavery, Jim Crow era, segregation, mass incarceration and structural policies have consistently blocked Blackmon from wealth building Illinois had a black male labor force participation participation rate of just 53.1% in 2021.

That is compared to 20 63.5% nationally own black men 20 to 24 years old in Chicago, joblessness reached 52.0 55 55.2% in 2021.

What are some of the reasons that you all found that black men are more likely to be unemployed, locked out of these wealth wealth, building opportunities.

>> Yes, our again, you know, that report came out in 2021.

And I found that, you know, I think through our research we're going we'll discover things that I feel like our community is already known is that there are a ton of areas.

One is that there's 1300 collateral consequences related to incarceration.

So our folks are really box on the labor for the moment.

They stepped on.

And so they're forced into this kind of cyclical informal economy where they have higher rates of engagement or law enforcement and then they return to jails and prisons and then they come back out again, right?

And so we're dealing with a crisis of opportunity.

And the city of Chicago and this our this report, I'm grateful that we are able to shine a light on it and provide some data that ultimately will move in our elected officials to create some solutions.

Yeah, we've done.

You mention those collateral consequences after incarceration and with criminal records.

We've done a great deal of reporting on that here at Chicago tonight, permanent punishment.

>> Arthur, you are a single father.

You know, the stigma of not being allowed are welcome to necessarily into parenting spaces sometimes.

Yes.

Would mind sharing a little bit of your experience about single parenthood?

>> about peer group from by point current guidance and we teach each other how to be better.

Fathers.

We come in with open inclusive.

So we.

Don't feel shame tonight.

OSHA's out and we want to be included in same thing to mothers want to be included.

And we want to be that schools we want to be going to shelters or I had my first time.

They have a shelter for us.

I feel like I had to pick between given my sent to DCF and we go into a shelter because shelters tend to only make room for mothers with children, but not a single fathers have children by single men.

So it was hard, but we've managed to get the win by point which time by the fathers helped.

>> What are what are some of the common threads that you hear from your fellow members of that peer group?

What are some of the concerns they have been in the places they need help?

>> But we need help Be help with just getting to know our kids and being able to know them without just a financial.

>> Punt.

We want to be able to take kids out and in so doing he said they days.

So we want to make days count, too.

We want to be in the schools in the classrooms.

If you can't have a happy, we want to be able to be there to share with and encourage him what they should take how does do that?

So we want to be included on inclusive and in the meetings, we can talk about anything without fear of being ridiculed or being felt less off.

>> And to be clear, you've got 3 kids at home and several who flew the coop.

I have to at home here at home and now one in college and one in grade school.

Okay.

Okay.

Got you, Richard.

Your report.

You offer some policy solutions as well about redistributing wealth to black men in closing the racial wealth gap some of your recommendations include reparations, baby bonds for black children.

>> Shared equity housing models and guaranteed income for system impacted black men, your organization, you actually began the first guaranteed income program for formerly incarcerated individuals.

I think we talked about that here on this very program.

How's that been working?

How did that work out?

Their work?

Phenomenally?

I'm >> I mean, I think it broke so many As it relates to our folks.

Our folks were acquired for jobs on a regular basis.

Our folks, I mean, we're able find work for folks who don't know.

The name of the pilot is called the Chicago Future Funds a guaranteed income pilot.

We believe in the framework of targeted universalism.

So essentially universal goals for everybody.

But you need targeted interventions for different segments, right?

Like what's necessary in Austin may look different than what's necessary in Englewood and so on and so forth.

A witness or in Lincoln Park may be different than what areas started in West Garfield Park.

And so we chose use a targeted intervention and provide direct cash payments to formally incarcerating system impacted.

People we saw was increases and psychological wellness of people felt better just by the idea of of getting a direct cash payments and people acknowledging circumstances.

In addition, 90% of our participants walked part-time or full-time during the program.

So the idea that if you give people direct cash will decrease there, engagement with the labor force was untrue.

Actually, people had the resources to go out and employment is really hard to get a job.

If you have a following the call, people back on.

If you don't have an income, chances are you may not have a phone, right.

So things like that.

And people also pay down debt.

Homelessness decreased by from 35% to 24%.

And only 3 people out of the 100 participants had any engagement law enforcement.

The national average state average is about 40% as a really, really SSRIs division.

And our folks, only 3 people at any engagement level, you know, let alone incarceration with lot for.

So you've got the data that makes a compelling case, right?

But it's been a time like this.

It might be a tough political sell to convince people.

>> The people who are formerly incarcerated should you know, based, you know, guaranteed basic income You know, that is that is may be covered by the taxpayers right later in this instance.

That is not the case.

But how do make that of the So, you know, are at the awesome opportunity to participate and that the passage of the bill called HB 1438.

Was a recreational Cannabis Tax Act.

It was the first cannabis legalization policy to incorporate preparations for the war on drugs.

I was there at the bill signing.

>> That policy were able to win.

25 1% of the cannabis tax revenue for purpose who need them forever.

That money is distributed through art through a program called are free.

Our free provided direct cash to nonprofit organizations serving Democrat, spent with right, organizations that are serving our for communities.

Our for communities were communities that were devastated by the war on drugs.

Right.

so what we're saying very clearly is that, you know, nonprofits are important.

We can go a step further, provide direct cash payments to those communities.

All that money looks like about 55 million dollars or more annually.

And so that money can be distributed in the form direct cash payments to the residents and those disproportionately impacted areas were saying clearly is that form in cars with people should be eligible to Yes, yeah, DART.

We're almost at a time we've got about 30 seconds left, you know, in the peer groups that we're talking about.

How do you make the case to black men?

>> That they can be vulnerable and honest about their feelings and well and this station just like I'm doing, my son graduated place about to turn from >> and if we we can make a difference.

So we teach each other how to be better us.

plans for Father's Day.

>> nobody knows yet.

Okay.

The that kids are at home cooking up something brilliant.

And right now, gentlemen.

All