Changing The Conversation With #IAmAStatistic

NPR

Published March 18, 2015 at 1:40 PM EDT

(L-R) Neil Osborne, Max Tilus,Tyler Holness, and Jack McGoldrick are behind "Statistic" -- to change the conversation about African-American men. (Robin Lubbock/Here & Now)

Over the past few months, a light has been shined on the African-American man’s experience, especially in relation to law enforcement.

Throughout the conversation, much attention has been given to statistics: how many African-American men go to jail, graduate high school and go to college.

Many of these statistics reflect African-American men’s experiences in a negative light, but what if the statistics focused on their positive accomplishments?

That is the mission of a new ad campaign by the Massachusetts-based Mystic Valley Area Branch of the NAACP called “Statistic.”

[Youtube]

Here & Now’s Robin Young speaks with the men behind the campaign NAACP branch president Neil Osborne, Jack McGoldrick of McGoldrick Marketing, and two of the students involved in #IAmAStatistic.

Guests

Max Tilus, senior at Medford High School
Tyler Holness, freshman at Medford High School
Neil Osborne, President of the Mystic Valley Area Branch of the NAACP
Jack McGoldrick, president of McGoldrick Marketing