| Hi there,
Yesterday, MSNBC spotlighted the work of the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance) in Newark, New Jersey. The report highlights how evidence-based practices can improve the lives of boys and young men of color across the country, and the full transcript is below
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka credits the partnership with MBK Alliance and other community-based programs for a historic drop in homicides to a 60-year low in just over a decade, “When [evidence-based community work] began to integrate itself with how we police and run the city, we saw dramatic changes.” Executive Director of the MBK Alliance Dr. Adren Wilson celebrated the achievement, noting that “the reduction of homicides represents young men that are living today, that will be fully present in their families, in their communities, and in our democracy.”
Students from Newark’s LEAD Charter School also gave first hand accounts of the positive changes they have experienced since being supported with access to mentorship and career opportunities. One of these students, Abraham Watson, shared powerful testimony stating that his mindset prior to the mentorship support was focused on “how am I going to survive,” but is now centered on “how good of a life am I going to live.”
This report comes off the heels of last year’s announcement, where the MBK Alliance recognized four MBK Model Communities who have a track record of success in positively shifting outcomes for boys and young men of color. The Model Communities will receive access to direct coaching, evaluation support, and peer-to-peer learning; direct resources, including an $800,000 grant ($400,000 a year for two years); and ongoing technical assistance for their work.
Tomorrow, the Obama Foundation and MBK Alliance will celebrate ten years of creating pathways to opportunity and building brighter futures for boys and young men of color. From its inception in the White House to its evolution as a cornerstone program of the Obama Foundation, MBK Alliance has spearheaded transformative initiatives and collaborations, including:- Community Challenge Competition: One year into the $5 million investment in 19 organizations across ten states and Puerto Rico, nearly 7,000 young people were served by our inaugural group of Impact and Seed Communities, with over 1,000 specifically connected to employment.
- Freedom Summers: In 2022 and 2023, the MBK Alliance invested $2 million in innovative solutions to keep children safe and engaged during critical times in their development.
- A decade of impactful mentorship: Today, the MBK Alliance continues its mentoring program, as research shows that young adults who have mentors are 52 percent more likely to attend school regularly and 55 percent more likely to attend college.
For more updates from the MBK Alliance, visit obama.org/my-brothers-keeper-alliance, or follow the Alliance on Facebook and Instagram.
–The Obama Foundation |
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