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Young black men are in peril.

We see it in the barrage of statistics that define the challenges of being black and male in this society. More disturbing, we see it in the faces of too many boys and teens whose paths we cross.

From presidential candidates to pundits, everyone is talking about it.

But thankfully, Total Action Against Poverty in Roanoke has joined the ranks of those trying to do something to save the next generation of black men in this community.

The community action group has put together a task force to delve into the difficulties confronting boys and teens. The panel, which will meet next week for the second time, plans to study programs in other cities and states that have had success in reaching black youths.

The program targets middle and high school students of all races who would be the first in their family to continue their education beyond high school -- college or technical school.

Last year, TAP's Project Discovery served 174 students. Of the 49 seniors, 99 percent continued their education. However, only seven of the seniors were black males.

"Too few of our participants are young African-American males," said TAP President Ted Edlich, who along with Program Director Annette Lewis came up with the idea of a task force.

"We thought it was time to start pulling together some people who have concerns to see what we can do," Edlich said.

Poverty, self-esteem and absentee fathers are issues for plenty of other youngsters. But the problems have reached crisis level for black boys.

Other adults -- individually and collectively -- are working with young black men. They should welcome the involvement of TAP, which has a successful track record of identifying a communitywide problem and taking it on.

We need as many segments of the community engaged as we try to figure out how to fight for the success of tomorrow's men.

"It's important for people to start doing," said task force member Willie Sowell.

"You just look around, and you see the deterioration," added Sowell, who retired from corporate America in 2005 and became Hampton University's administrator at the Roanoke Higher Education Center.

He noted young black males' loss of respect, "not just respect for themselves, but respect for the community that they live in. The level of respect that was once a strong fabric in our community is waning."

In its first meeting in June, the 10-person task force outlined challenges that confront at-risk black boys. The list of 36 included absent fathers, lack of an advocate or role model, low self-esteem and an unhealthy focus on the "cool culture," which emphasizes "hyper-masculinity."

Lewis said the task force will come up with a plan of action for Project Discovery that may have communitywide implications, such as urging the schools to hire more male teachers.

"It's just too serious, and it's bigger than us," she said. "It is a huge problem, and there are so many facets of this problem. There's the family, the schools."

Project Discovery was established in 1979, the first such program in the state. Since then, 21 other Project Discovery programs have been established across Virginia.

In the program's nearly 30 years in Roanoke, Lewis said it has an 80 percent success rate with more than 8,000 high school seniors continuing their education.

Lewis said program workers go into schools to meet with counselors and set up booths in the cafeteria to recruit students. They even corner parents at PTA meetings.

"Everybody wants their child to be successful," Lewis said. Because the program targets youngsters from families in which no one before them has gone on to higher education, "The hardest sell is 'It's possible for you.' "

The program, which had a budget last year of $84,673, takes students on college road trips to help them think about the possibility of higher education. Program workers help students identify goals and select the necessary courses to achieve them. They help students prepare for standardized tests and provide them tutors if necessary.

Reversing the crisis of young black men should be of concern to everyone, Edlich said.

"We all have linkages to one another. We all are dependent on one another. The No. 1 economic development issue for the city of Roanoke is the development of the finest urban school system in the state," he said.

"The success of African-American males has got to be part of that. We have to take seriously of what happens to African-American males."