Meeting addresses health of minority boys and young men

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Juan Segura, a resident from Oakland, CA, is 18 years old. Segura grew up with an alcoholic father and a mother who fought cancer. At the age of 13, he joined a gang.

But now, Segura wants a change in his life. He is inspired by Sessa Cruz, his teacher. Cruz is teaching Segura about his heritage. However, his past seems to haunt him. In May, Segura was a target of a shooting that he survived. But his best friend died after a gunshot to the head.

People who gathered at the Building Healthy Communities’ Tuesday discussed people like Segura. Studies shows that young men of color between the ages of 15 to 24 have a homicide death rate 16 times greater than that of young white men.

Manuel Pastor, a professor of American Studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said young men in minority groups are not able to get the education they need to be in the labor market. He also said the two-day conference and workshops allow young men of color to be heard.

Speakers at the town hall received a preview of a new book called “Changing Places: How Communities will Improve the Health of Boys of Color.”

The town hall meeting will continue Wednesday when Juan Segura will talk about his experiences.