A common fashion for young males is to wear pants slung so low that their underwear is clearly visible. According to reports, this style is fashionable in major U.S. cities as well as international capitols, and it is especially common among African American males.
In Boston, the Black Mental Health Alliance of Massachusetts (BMHAM) has launched a campaign to discourage young boys from accepting that dress code. “We have visited some schools and convinced young boys to pull up their pants,” said Gloria Middleton, a community outreach liaison for BMHAM.
The campaign has been underway since January, and the organization plans to continue it for as long as is necessary. A “Saggy Pants” video prepared by BMHAM has attracted considerable attention to the issue.
The BMHAM was organized by Dr. Omar Reid, a licensed educational psychologist and mental health counselor to enable minority mental health workers to affiliate in order to have a stronger impact in the state.
