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Obama sees focus on young black and Hispanic men in post-presidency Obama sees focus on young black and Hispanic men in post-presidency
(about 7 hours later)
A few months after a group of young black men and he had their second intimate meeting with President Obama, Marshaun Bacon sat at Hyde Park Academy High School in Chicago and dreamed that he could cross paths with the president another time way in the future.A few months after a group of young black men and he had their second intimate meeting with President Obama, Marshaun Bacon sat at Hyde Park Academy High School in Chicago and dreamed that he could cross paths with the president another time way in the future.
“I’m hopeful that, once his term is over and he comes back to Chicago, he’ll still want to be involved in the BAM program,” Bacon, a counselor with the Becoming a Man program for inner city youth, said last fall.“I’m hopeful that, once his term is over and he comes back to Chicago, he’ll still want to be involved in the BAM program,” Bacon, a counselor with the Becoming a Man program for inner city youth, said last fall.
On Thursday, Obama will make clear his thinking is in the same place. He will announce $200 million in commitments by foundations to aid young men of color, part of a broader administrationwide initiative to address this group of youths. It will be the beginning of an effort, aides say, that will last beyond his time in the White House. On Thursday, Obama made clear his thinking is in the same place. He announced $200 million in commitments by foundations to aid young men of color, part of a broader administrationwide initiative to address this group of youths. It will be the beginning of an effort, aides say, that will last beyond his time in the White House.
“The group that is facing some of the most severe challenges in 21st century America is boys and young men of color,” Obama said at a news conference in the East Room of the White House Thursday afternoon. “I believe the continuing struggles of so many boys and young men ... this is a moral issue for our country. We need to give every child, no matter what they look like ... the chance to reach their full potential.”
“The president has made clear the challenges facing young men and boys of color is something of great personal importance to him,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser, in a call with reporters Wednesday. “And for this reason, this initiative is something that is one that the president has been closely involved in every step along the way, and one that he and the first lady will remain committed to after the end of his presidency.”“The president has made clear the challenges facing young men and boys of color is something of great personal importance to him,” said Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser, in a call with reporters Wednesday. “And for this reason, this initiative is something that is one that the president has been closely involved in every step along the way, and one that he and the first lady will remain committed to after the end of his presidency.”
As Obama unveils the new initiative in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, Bacon and three boys from Becoming a Man will be there. As Obama unveiled the new initiative on Thursday, Bacon and three boys from Becoming a Man were with him at the White House.
It will be their third encounter with the president, a rare series of meetings between the president and a single group of inner-city youth. Bacon and the young men, along with about a dozen other students, last met with Obama at the White House in June for a Father’s Day event and, a year ago, they all gathered with him at Hyde Park for a private discussion on the challenges of growing up as a black man in America. It was their third encounter with the president, a rare series of meetings between the president and a single group of inner-city youth. Bacon and the young men, along with about a dozen other students, last met with Obama at the White House in June for a Father’s Day event and, a year ago, they all gathered with him at Hyde Park for a private discussion on the challenges of growing up as a black man in America.
“I honestly believe that the connection that the president made with those young men in Chicago and then here at the White House touched the president as deeply as it did those young men,” Jarrett said.“I honestly believe that the connection that the president made with those young men in Chicago and then here at the White House touched the president as deeply as it did those young men,” Jarrett said.
The initiative Obama will unveil Thursday will be called “My Brother’s Keeper,” and it will feature $200 million worth of commitments by top foundations such as Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Bloomberg Philanthropies to introduce programs across the country to help young black and Hispanic men graduate high school and stay out of the criminal justice system. The initiative Obama unveiled Thursday is called “My Brother’s Keeper,” and it features $200 million worth of commitments by top foundations such as Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Bloomberg Philanthropies to introduce programs across the country to help young black and Hispanic men graduate high school and stay out of the criminal justice system.
Obama will announce commitments from corporate leaders – including Joe Echevarria from Deloitte, Magic Johnson from Magic Johnson Enterprises, Glenn Hutchins of Silver Lake Partners, Adam Silver of the National Basketball Association and Thomas Tull of Legendary Entertainment – to aid young minority men. The White House did not put a dollar figure on these commitments. Obama announced commitments from corporate leaders – including Joe Echevarria from Deloitte, Magic Johnson from Magic Johnson Enterprises, Glenn Hutchins of Silver Lake Partners, Adam Silver of the National Basketball Association and Thomas Tull of Legendary Entertainment – to aid young minority men. The White House did not put a dollar figure on these commitments.
Others attending the event include General Colin Powell, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. Others attending the event included General Colin Powell, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In addition to the outside commitments, Obama will establish a federal task force, led by cabinet secretary Broderick Johnson, that will seek to marshal federal programs in support of young minority men. The group will focus on evaluating and promoting the best policies for improving the lives of young men of color – and the best metrics for assessing success or failure. In addition to the outside commitments, Obama is establishing a federal task force, led by cabinet secretary Broderick Johnson, that will seek to marshal federal programs in support of young minority men. The group will focus on evaluating and promoting the best policies for improving the lives of young men of color – and the best metrics for assessing success or failure.
Cecila Muñoz, the director of the Domestic Policy Council, said young men of color are being targeted for special help because they are disproportionately affected by many of society’s ills.Cecila Muñoz, the director of the Domestic Policy Council, said young men of color are being targeted for special help because they are disproportionately affected by many of society’s ills.
“We know, based on the academic evidence, that boys and young men of color, regardless of their economic background, are disproportionately at risk,” she said. “And we know that this starts at a very early age.”“We know, based on the academic evidence, that boys and young men of color, regardless of their economic background, are disproportionately at risk,” she said. “And we know that this starts at a very early age.”
Jarrett described the initiative as an outgrowth of Obama thinking about how to better bolster young minority men and noted that the event will be held just one day after the second anniversary of the death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black youth fatally shot in an altercation in Florida. Jarrett described the initiative as an outgrowth of Obama thinking about how to better bolster young minority men and noted that the event was held just one day after the second anniversary of the death of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black youth fatally shot in an altercation in Florida.
She said the administration would also look for ways to partners with Republicans focused on criminal justice reform, citing Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) as well as Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.). “In the aftermath of the Trayvon Martin verdict, I spoke about the need to bolster and reinforce our young men,” Obama said Thursday.
“When we let this many boys and young men fall through the cracks, we’re crippling our ability as a nation to reach our full potential,” she said, adding the new initiative “is just the start of an effort that we’ll continue to build over the next month and years.” He said the administration would also look for ways to partners with Republicans focused on criminal justice reform, citing Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.), Mike Lee (Utah) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) as well as Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.).
“We all have a job to do,” Obama said Thursday, “and we can do it together—black and white; urban and rural; Democrat and Republican.”
Jarrett said the new initiative “is just the start of an effort that we’ll continue to build over the next month and years.”