At the Entrepreneurs Summit May 13-16 in Atlanta, Georgia, Black Enterprise President and CEO Earl Graves Jr. will moderate a BE Town Hall addressing obstacles and solutions to black male success. The forum, “Black Males Matter,” will feature a diverse panel of black men, including NewsOne Now host Roland Martin.
As we gear up for the solution-focused conversation, we remember three of President Obama’s most recent efforts that favored the social and economic welfare of minority men.
Commutations and Pardons
President Obama commuted the sentences of 22 individuals last month, eight of which were sentenced to life. His administration concluded that the incarcerated were punished under an “outdated sentencing regime.” Commutations included 20 men and 2 women, and 16 African Americans, according to reports. In a letter to the newly freed citizens, the President wrote:
“I am granting your application because you have demonstrated the potential to turn your life around. Now it is up to you to make the most of this opportunity. It will not be easy, and you will confront many who doubt people with criminal records can change. Perhaps even you are unsure of how you will adjust to your new circumstances. But remember that you have the capacity to make good choices. By doing so, you will affect not only your own life, but those close to you. You will also influence, through your example, the possibility that others in your circumstances get their own second chance in the future.”