If you have seen the news over the last several months, it’s no secret that black males are facing some huge educational hurdles. Our dropout rates are, in a word, uncacceptable. This means that too many brothers will resign themselves to a fate of low-paying jobs, unemployment or illegal activities.

So, it is good to see that someone is actually wanting to address this problem head-on. In Nashville, a new plan for a private school for black boys has been planned. The school will be called Bridges Academy.

The plans call for the new school to be opened in downtown Nashville next fall with a starting class of 50 fifth-graders and 50 sixth-graders. Future plans are for the schoold to open up for boys in grades 5-12.

This effort is being headed up by two brothers who bring both corporate and educational expertise to the table. Derek Young, former director of outreach for Cracker Barrel’s corporate offices, will be the schools president and Maurice Fitzgerald, a longtime Metro schools educator and coach, will be dean of education.

Let’s hope that this school is able to be a success. Our younger brothers could really benefit from a school that specfically addresses the concerns of educating young black boys.

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