Waldo E. Johnson, Jr., is an Associate Professor School of Social Service Administration and Faculty Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago. He is Principal Investigator for the Chicago Parenting Initiative Evaluation Study and he is examining the physical and mental health statuses of disconnected African American males in the South Side Health and Vitality Studies (SSHVS). Johnson is a member of the Ford Foundation Scholars Network on Masculinity and the Wellbeing of African American Males; ACF’s Welfare and Economic Self-Sufficiency Technical Working Group; 2025 Campaign for Black Men and Boys; and Co-Chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Research and Information Consortium, Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council.