My Brother’s Keeper
“We need to give every child, no matter what they look like, where they live, the chance to reach their full potential. Because if we do – if we help these wonderful young men become better husbands and fathers, and well-educated, hardworking, good citizens –then not only will they contribute to the growth and prosperity of this country, but theywill pass on those lessons on to their children, on to their grandchildren, will start adifferent cycle. And this country will be richer and stronger for it – for generations to come.” – President Barack Obama, February 27, 2014
In February 2014, the President announced a new initiative, My Brother’s Keeper to ensure that all youth, including boys and young men of color, have opportunities to improve their life outcomes and overcome barriers to success. There have been a number of events and announcements related to My Brother’s Keeper since its launch – more information about the various aspects of My Brother’s Keeper can be found at the My Brother’s Keeper webpage, and several resources are listed below.
Did You Know?
Only 7% of America’s public school teachers are Hispanic, 2% are Hispanic males.
27% of Blacks and Latinos enroll in an Advanced Placement class and just 18% receive a passing score.
By the 4th grade, many Black and Latino students are nearly 3 years behind their white counterparts.
Hispanic young men are more than 6 times as likely to be murder victims than white peers.
82% of Hispanic boys read below proficiency levels by the fourth grade.
To advance the goals of My Brother’s Keeper, the Initiative is focusing on identifying and increasing impact in key areas, including: early learning and school readiness, parenting and family engagement, third grade literacy, educational opportunity and college access, school discipline, postsecondary affordability and completion, diversity in the teaching profession, interactions with the criminal justice system, ladders to jobs and economic opportunity, and healthy families and communities.
Key My Brother’s Keeper Activities
The Initiative has engaged in numerous activities to discuss the My Brother’s Keeper effort and the educational prospects of Hispanic males. In addition, we have tracked many activities that relate to the goals of My Brother’s Keeper, or focus on Hispanic boys and young men, that have been carried out by organizations in the nonprofit and private sectors. Below is an extended list of activities held throughout 2014, which includes web links to resources connected to those activities that can be found online.
My Brother’s Keeper: 2014 Activities in the Hispanic Community White House Resources
Fact Sheet: President Obama Launches My Brother’s Keeper Initiative
Remarks by the President on My Brother’s Keeper Initiative
My Brother’s Keeper Task Force 90-Day Report
My Brother’s Keeper Task Force One-Year Progress Report
Fact Sheet on Commitments in Support of My Brother’s Keeper
Fact Sheet on MBK Community Challenge
Federal Data Sets on Critical Life Indicators
Recent Blog Posts
Giving Every Young Person a Path to Reach Their Potential by Julián Castro, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
My Brother’s Keeper: A Year of Progress by Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
My Brother’s Keeper: A Year Later by Broderick Johnson, Assistant to the President, Cabinet Secretary, and Chair of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force
