NEW YORK STATE NAACP CONDEMNS JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION OF CUNY’S BLACK MALE INITIATIVE

The NAACP New York State Conference strongly condemns the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to investigate the City University of New York's CUNY Black Male Initiative (BMI), a program that, for twenty years, has been a lifeline for thousands of young men who have historically been severely underrepresented in higher education.

CUNY’s Black Male Initiative has provided targeted support, mentorship, and community to close the gaps that systemic inequality created. The program has succeeded in improving enrollment, retention, GPA, and graduation rates for students who too often fall through the cracks. 

This is nothing more than an attack on a program focused on student success, the latest in this Administration's attempts to erode Black representation across the country.  

The NAACP New York State Conference stands with CUNY, the Black Male Initiative, and the students it serves. We call on the Department of Justice to stop weaponizing civil rights protections against the communities they were intended to protect.