The goal of the conference, explains Cort, was to bring this issue to the forefront and increase aware- ness. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to realize that we, mental health providers, educators, etc., unwittingly allow implicit negative racial/ethnic biases to impact our diagnostic and treatment behaviors, and, as a result, we are los- ing beautiful, talented young boys and men who could have contributed to society in amazing ways. These are our babies, and this is our loss. We can do better.鈥� The event presented three panel discussions: 1) deconstructing the cradle to prison pipeline; 2) innovative mentorship and advocacy; and 3) increasing cultural responsiveness and reducing racial disparities in our school systems. Panelists and moderators included nonprofit directors, educators, mental health providers, and juvenile justice advocates. The Hon. Leslie E. Harris, JD, (Ret.), Former Asso- ciate Justice for the Suffolk Juvenile Court, and Ron Walker, Founder and Executive Director of the Coali- tion of Schools Educating Boys of Color, gave key- note addresses. Both stressed the need for mentors and advocates to support the resiliency and existing strengths of boys of color. In a podcast interview with 91香蕉视频成人在线 President Nicholas Covino, Harris shared some of his experiences as a juvenile court judge. 鈥淚f third grade boys get into a fight today in Boston, the police are called, and the children are often labeled with a criminal record for the rest of their lives for doing the same things I did as a kid like fighting with my best friend. Their normal behavior has been crimi- nalized starting in third grade,鈥� he said, noting that if the fight occurred in a suburban school, the parents would be called without police involvement. He observed that in Massachusetts, records cannot be expunged, which means young boys with records are later barred from opportunities like joining the military. 鈥淒oors they don鈥檛 even know they want to go through are closed forever. We do children a disservice by criminalizing them and destroying their future.鈥� During Walker鈥檚 talk at the conference, he chal- lenged the audience to first recognize the problem in order to fix the problem, which means being honest about the contemporary inequities that come from the country鈥檚 history. Cort agreed, stating, 鈥淲e need to understand that the societal harm done to boys of color has a deep historical legacy. We need to be courageous enough to confront the problem to move forward. I know it is absolutely possible for us to change what has been an ignored crisis.鈥� She says, 鈥淭his conference was about putting a spotlight on this issue because we have the power, privilege and opportunity to change systems we are a part of and it鈥檚 our responsibility to do so. I hope the participants came away with the intention to look at themselves individually and collectively to consider ways of responding to the needs of boys of color.鈥� Look for coverage of a follow-up event called 鈥淭he Black Man Can鈥� in a future issue of Rapport. 鈥淲e need to understand that the societal harm done to boys of color has a deep historical legacy. We need to be courageous enough to confront the problem to move forward.鈥� Dr. Natalie Cort, Director, Black Mental Health Academy, 91香蕉视频成人在线 WILLIAM JAMES COLLEGE 5