Groups take aim at disparities facing African-Americans

According to a recent article in The News Gazette, groups from three systems that help children in trouble - schools, child-welfare agencies, and juvenile justice- gathered together to see how they could eliminate disproportionality. With less than 22% of Champaign County children being African-American, the group makes up 63% of out-of-school suspensions in Urbana, 60% of child-welfare cases, 81% of discipline referrals in the Champaign schools, and 82% of juvenile detention admissions within the county, the groups are looking for ways to help eliminate the disparities faced by African-American families.