INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The unique challenges facing Black boys and men today require a specific set of policy responses, including through adulthood.

Before we understand the best response to those issues, we have to understand the challenges Black men face.

WISH-TV contributor and InnoPower CEO Emil Ekiyor sat with News 8 anchor Dakarai Turner for a discussion.

Ekiyor said Blacks, culturally, have settled for the status quo.

“What has happened over the years, there’s been a lot said about the journey of a Black man … We also need to come with a message of opportunity, instead of the sky is falling,” he said.

Ekiyor said there are “too many” messages relayed to Black men that “nothing can be done” because of a lack of messaging about opportunity.

The message he said is instead received is “There’s a limit to your blackness; there’s a limit to what you can do.”

Ekiyor said issues that hold Black men back include the criminal justice system.

“(If) you get caught with a bag of weed, you should not be labeled with it for the rest of your life,” he said, referring to certain “felony” crimes. “Being labeled a felon can affect a person’s job prospects, being able to rent or own a home, and other critical aspects of a person’s life.”

To see more of the conversation, click the video above.