Five Black leaders look at the Black male life in an attempt to discern why Black males are often deterred from successfully entering the mainstream of American life. "The Black Male: An Endangered Species," is the tenth BLACK ISSUES FORUM.

The Black Male: An Endangered Species?" was taped before a live audience in Biddle Auditorium on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC on May 12.

"Studies show that by the year 2000, 70% of all Black male will be alcoholics, addicted to drugs, in jail or dead," Fayetteville State University Chancellor Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley says during the program. " When I look back 10 years and I draw the lines from then until now, I say those statistics are not far off and we've got to do something about it."

Hackley and other BLACK ISSUES FORUM panelists discussed how many Black males are lacking in self-esteem. They need to realize, the panelists say, that they are a valuable commodity.

Gerald Jackson, President of New Arena Consultants of Somerset, N.J., says Black males don't have a sense of being empowered to succeed in life to the degree that people in other groups are convinced they can. The panel discuss ways in which the Black males may be able to achieve the level of confidence they need to be accepted and treated equally.

In addition to problems in education, family and community life, financial stability is discussed. Dr. John Lewis McAdoo, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland-Baltimore, says "when Black men have economic sufficiency to support their families in the way in which they would like to, they don't get into problems."

James L. Blackburn, President of Blackburn's Environmental Systems, commented on Black unemployment. "The term `just say no' is working, but its working in the wrong direction. When a Black man comes in and applies for a job they(the employers) look at the application and they just say `no'."

Problems Black males face are often overlooked, according to panelist Patricia Timmoms- Goodson, District Court Judge in Fayetteville. "Don't dismiss it (the term `endangered species') because it's something we don't want to hear, " Timmoms-Goodson says. "Let's look at it, and do what we can to address it."

PANELISTS:

Dr. Lloyd V. Hackley, Chancellor, Fayetteville State University, NC.

Gerald Jackson, President, New Arena Consultants, Somerset, NJ.

Dr. John Lewis McAdoo, Associate Professor, University of Maryland-Baltimore.

James L. Blackburn, President, Blackburn's Environmental Systems.

Patricia Timmoms- Goodson, District Court Judge, Fayetteville, NC.

The panel discussion was moderated by Valeria Lee, Chair of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television and Porgram Development Officer for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. The Executive Producer is Dr. Paul Vandergrift.