My Brothers Keeper Initiative Launches in Roselle, NJ with Over 400 Students!

In 2014 President Obama launched the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.

Through this initiative, the Administration is joining with cities and towns, businesses, and foundations who are taking important steps to connect young people to mentoring, support networks, and the skills they need to find a good job or go to college and work their way into the middle class. One recent example of the powerful impact this program is making is evident in the recent launch of the initiative in Roselle, NJ. The event was held on Friday, April 17th at Abraham Clark High School as a call to action summit for President Obama’s My Brothers Keeper Initiative for over 400 male students and community leaders. This challenge was lead by Natasha Davis who was appointed by former Mayor, current Assemblyman Jamel C. Holley to be Program Director to spearhead and launch the initiative in the Roselle Community.

The MBK Community Challenge encourages communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college-and-career strategy for improving successful life outcomes for all young men of color to ensure that they can reach their full potential, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances into which they are born.

During the all day summit, Roselle took on efforts to bridge the social and economic achievement gap for our boys and young men of color. The purpose was to allow our young men to meet leaders of their community to discuss their opinions and concerns about issues of grave importance. Over 400 young boys of color heard from men with different backgrounds and professions as they shared their journey through hardship and success. These men spent the day with them, had lunch and 400 young men received their rite of passage by receiving and learning to tie a tie.

The summit’s guest included, Keynote Speaker Thabiti Boone White House Champion for Fatherhood, Dr Bob Lee of WBLS, Troy Bowers of NBA Knicks, Kobie Brown of Sony Music Ent and ASPiRE TV, James Horne, President and CEO of United Way, Honorable Judge Carl Marshall, Jenabu Williams Sigma Youth Foundation CEO and DJ Lil Man.

The attendees were local high school students, police officers and leaders of the community. Total, there were over 500 participants, 400 of which were students.  The city also plans to host a similar Fatherhood event in June.  To learn more about the My Brother’s Keeper initiative or to sign up as a mentor visit www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper.