In 2014, former President Barack Obama founded and launched My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) in a room full of government officials, educators, and parents from different backgrounds and walks of life. His goal was to bring together those with power and those who needed to be empowered so that they could make a collective effort to help disadvantaged Black and Latino boys thrive in every area of their lives with the support of public service groups and the government.
During the time of his address he said, “So often, the issues facing boys and young men of color get caught up in long-running ideological arguments about race and class, and crime and poverty, the role of government, partisan politics. We’ve all heard those arguments before. But the urgency of the situation requires us to move past some of those old arguments and focus on getting something done and focusing on what works. It doesn’t mean the arguments are unimportant; it just means that they can’t paralyze us. And there’s enough goodwill and enough overlap and agreement that we should be able to go ahead and get some things done, without resolved everything about our history or our future.”
And four years later, people are making good on their commitment to make sure that young boys of color have the same chances at access to resources and opportunities despite the realities that they face.
In an effort to fight the good fight, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance will be hosting on online Town Hall meeting led by Regent Lester W. Young Jr. on Monday, July 23, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. ET. The event will bring over 600 community leaders within the movement together to connect, and learn about the impact that the initiative has had on New York. During the Town Hall, Regent Young will be joined by Dr. Anael Alston, Assistant Commissioner for the New York State Education Department Office of Access, Equity, and Community Engagement Services, and they will discuss the positive impacts the MBK initiative has made in New York.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions, and explore best practices as they impact lives with their programming. There will also be a one-on-one conversation with Grammy-award winning artist Common.
As the gatekeepers of Black Men XCEL and BE Modern Man, Black Enterprise understands the importance of celebrating the best of who black men and boys are. That is why at this year’s Black Men XCEL Summit, we will be discussing major issues that plague black men, like the wealth gap, mental health and wellness, and the importance of being groomed for leadership.
So, here are two opportunities to get involved and be your brother’s keeper:
- Sign up for the My Brother’s Keeper webinar via the Online Registration or tune in to the MBKA Facebook Live.
- Join us for the Black Men XCEL Summit at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, presented by FedEx from Aug. 29–Sept. 2, 2018.
It’s time to celebrate the best of who we are! So, show up for your brother.