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President Obama to launch major new effort to help young men of color President Obama to launch major new effort to help young minority men
(about 17 hours later)
President Obama will launch a significant new effort this week to bolster the lives of young men of color, seeking to use the power of the presidency to help a group of Americans whose lives are disproportionately affected by poverty and prison. President Obama will launch a significant new effort Thursday to bolster the lives of young minority men, seeking to use the power of the presidency to help a group of Americans whose lives are disproportionately affected by poverty and prison.
Obama on Thursday will announce a new White House initiative called “My Brother’s Keeper,” which will bring foundations and companies together to test a range of strategies across the country to support young male minorities, taking steps to keep them in school and out of the criminal justice system, a White House official said. He will also announce that his administration will launch a more vigorous evaluation of what policies work best and publicize results to school systems and others across the country. The “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative will bring foundations and companies together to test a range of strategies to support such young men, taking steps to keep them in school and out of the criminal justice system, a White House official said. Obama will also announce a more vigorous program to evaluate policies and publicize results to school systems around the country.
The effort will seek “to make sure that every young man of color who is willing to work hard and lift himself up has an opportunity to get ahead and reach his full potential,” the White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. “The initiative will be focused on implementing strategies that are proven to get results.”The effort will seek “to make sure that every young man of color who is willing to work hard and lift himself up has an opportunity to get ahead and reach his full potential,” the White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement. “The initiative will be focused on implementing strategies that are proven to get results.”
Obama promised to launch a new project focused on young men of color in one line — widely overlooked — during his State of the Union address last month. His focus on a relatively narrow demographic group is unusual for a president who usually stresses how his policies affect large swaths of the American public. It also comes after the first African American president has faced repeated criticism from those who say he is failing to pay enough attention to this group of Americans. Obama had promised to launch a new project focused on young minority men during his State of the Union address last month. His focus on a relatively narrow demographic group is unusual for a president who usually stresses how his policies affect large swaths of the American public. It also comes after the first African American president has faced repeated criticism from those who say he is failing to pay enough attention to blacks and other minorities.
But the announcement of the initiative is just the latest way that Obama, in his second term, has been addressing race and the fortunes of urban youth more directly. Last month, Obama and his wife, Michelle, hosted a forum at the White House to persuade colleges to recruit more low-income Americans. And last year, the Justice Department overhauled drug-sentencing guidelines so that low-level and nonviolent offenders do not face stiff minimum sentences. The initiative is the latest sign that Obama plans to address such issues more directly in his second term. Last month, Obama and the first lady hosted a forum at the White House to persuade colleges to recruit more low-income Americans. And last year, the Justice Department overhauled drug-sentencing guidelines so that low-level and nonviolent offenders do not face stiff minimum sentences.
The new focus reached its emotional peak last summer when Obama delivered remarks about race in the United States after the non-guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman, who had been accused of murdering an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin. The new focus reached its emotional peak last summer when Obama delivered remarks about race in the United States after the non-guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the killing of an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin.
On Thursday, Obama will invite boys and young men to the White House for the event – including participants from a Chicago-based group called Becoming a Man. In two intimate sessions last year, Obama met with program participants — once in Chicago and once in Washington — forging a little-known bond that was the subject of a Washington Post story on Monday. Participants in Thursday’s event will include young men from a Chicago-based group called Becoming a Man, which Obama met with in two sessions last year.
Administration officials say that the White House has been searching for better ways to address the plight of young men from disadvantaged groups since at least last summer. While the White House will release more details about the initiative on Thursday, an official said Tuesday that “My Brother’s Keeper” would consist of two main parts. An administration official said the “My Brother’s Keeper” effort will consist of two main parts. First, the official said, businesses and foundations will join together to test strategies aimed at “making sure children arrive at school ready to learn and reducing negative interactions with the criminal justice system.”
First, the official said, businesses and foundations will join together to test strategies across the country. The efforts, he said, will focus “on key moments in the lives of these young men where interventions have been shown to have the greatest impact — things like making sure children arrive at school ready to learn and reducing negative interactions with the criminal justice system.” Second, Obama will launch an internal administration effort to more rigorously evaluate what programs work best at helping young minority males. The Education and Justice departments, for example, recently updated guidelines provided to school districts on the most effective disciplinary policies.
Second, Obama will also launch an internal administration effort to more rigorously evaluate what programs work at helping these young men. The administration official said the new measures will not cost more money and will include Republicans working on criminal justice reform, religious leaders and corporate executives.
For instance, the Departments of Education and Justice recently updated guidelines provided to school districts on the most effective disciplinary policies — what the official called “a powerful example of the kinds of actions the federal government can take to bolster outcomes and reduce disparities for this population.”
The official said the new measures will not cost more money and said they will include Republicans working on criminal justice reform, faith leaders and corporate leaders.
Obama’s work in this area has been unfolding for months. Last summer, he began meeting with an eclectic group of leaders to discuss how better to aid the poor.Obama’s work in this area has been unfolding for months. Last summer, he began meeting with an eclectic group of leaders to discuss how better to aid the poor.
The meetings have included foundation leaders such as Michael Rubinger, the chief executive of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation; scholars such as Robert Putnam, a Harvard professor; business leaders such as Thomas Donohue, the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the former basketball star and businessman. The meetings have included foundation leaders such as Michael Rubinger, chief executive of the Local Initiatives Support Corp.; scholars such as Robert Putnam, a Harvard University professor; business leaders such as Thomas Donohue, the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the former basketball star and businessman.
While those meetings focused more generally on the challenges facing the poor, the discussions continued later in the fall with meetings specifically addressing young men of color. Cabinet officials such as Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez have been intimately involved. While those meetings focused more generally on the challenges facing the poor, the discussions continued later in the fall with meetings specifically addressing young minority men. Cabinet officials such as Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez have been intimately involved.
In at least one of those meetings, in September, Obama brought up his experience with young men in the Becoming a Man program, which he visited a year ago at Hyde Park Academy High School.In at least one of those meetings, in September, Obama brought up his experience with young men in the Becoming a Man program, which he visited a year ago at Hyde Park Academy High School.
The president described in that meeting with the young men how his upbringing — without a father in the picture — was, in many ways, similar to theirs. He added, though, that the environment he faced in Hawaii was much more forgiving than what they face on the South Side of Chicago. The president described in that meeting with the young men how his upbringing — without a father in the picture — was in many ways similar to theirs. He added, though, that the environment he faced in Hawaii was much more forgiving than what they face on the South Side of Chicago.
“His life was easier than the kids’ lives who were at Hyde Park High School, and so he’s constantly trying to figure out what we can do to provide that opportunity for the American Dream regardless of your Zip code and circumstances,” Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s senior adviser, said in an interview in the fall. “We need to make sure that we don’t lose them to the criminal justice system and [that we] provide them with pathways back into the classroom — since we all know that a good education is a path to economic self-sufficiency.” “His life was easier than the kids’ lives who were at Hyde Park High School, and so he’s constantly trying to figure out what we can do to provide that opportunity for the American Dream regardless of your Zip code and circumstances,” Valerie Jarrett, an Obama senior adviser, said in an interview last fall. “We need to make sure that we don’t lose them to the criminal justice system and [that we] provide them with pathways back into the classroom — since we all know that a good education is a path to economic self-sufficiency.”
Administration officials have said the Becoming a Man program is an example of a highly effective initiative. A study by the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab found that a year in the BAM program increases graduation rates by 10 to 23 percent relative to students not in the program and reduces violent-crime arrests by 44 percent. The program costs $1,100 per participant. Administration officials have said the Becoming a Man program is a highly effective initiative. A study by the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab found that a year in the BAM program increased graduation rates by 10 to 23 percent and reduced violent-crime arrests by 44 percent. The program costs $1,100 per participant.
“There are so few programs out there that have been able to have an impact,” said Roseanna Ander, executive director of the university’s Crime Lab. “To see it was such a light-touch intervention and the impacts were so huge was incredible.”“There are so few programs out there that have been able to have an impact,” said Roseanna Ander, executive director of the university’s Crime Lab. “To see it was such a light-touch intervention and the impacts were so huge was incredible.”