Former President Barack Obama has followed through on a major part of his lifelong goal to help the country achieve greater racial and social justice: closing the opportunity gap for boys and young men of color.
The Obama Foundation, a nonprofit organization set up by the former president and first lady with the expressed goal of improving civic engagement, will now include as a core initiative the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. The program was one Obama started during his second term in office and aims to improve the lives of young men of color by mobilizing mentors, reducing youth violence, and providing greater access to education and opportunities.
While MBKA was always expected to unite with the Obama Foundation, the merge wasn’t officially announced until last week.
Michael Smith, executive director of MBKA, said in a press release released Wednesday that the alliance “has catalyzed an unprecedented all-in movement for our kids who are so often left on the margins of society.”
Now that MBKA is officially a core initiative of the Obama Foundation, Smith said he is “excited to take this work to the next level with greater focus on impact, innovation and collaboration.”