My Brother's Keeper Alliance

My Brother's Keeper Alliance is a national initiative launched to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color in the United States. Established as a key component of the Obama Foundation, it mobilizes communities, private sector leaders, and philanthropic organizations to implement evidence-based interventions. The program focuses on critical life milestones, from early childhood to college and career, through strategic partnerships and local action.

History and founding

The initiative was originally launched by President Barack Obama in 2014 following the death of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent protests in Ferguson, Missouri. In 2015, the White House formally established the My Brother's Keeper Alliance as an independent nonprofit to sustain the work beyond the Obama administration. Its creation was announced at a summit attended by leaders like John Lewis and supported by major foundations including the Ford Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The move institutionalized a federal task force recommendation into a permanent, privately funded organization housed under the Obama Foundation after President Obama left office.

Mission and programs

The core mission is to ensure all youth, particularly boys and young men of color, have clear pathways to success. This is operationalized through a focus on six milestones: entering school ready to learn, reading at grade level, graduating from high school, completing postsecondary education, successfully entering the workforce, and remaining safe from violent crime. Programs are delivered through a network of over 250 communities in all 50 states, known as MBK Communities, which implement local solutions. Key programmatic areas include mentorship matching, literacy interventions, college readiness workshops, and juvenile justice diversion programs, often coordinated with local school districts and nonprofit organizations.

Key initiatives and impact

A flagship initiative is the MBK Community Challenge, which provides a framework and technical assistance for mayors, tribal leaders, and county executives to build local cradle-to-career pipelines. Another significant program is the MBK National Mentoring Partnership, which collaborates with groups like Mentor and the National Mentoring Resource Center to expand quality mentoring. The alliance has also launched specific efforts like the MBK STEM Initiative with partners such as NASA and Lockheed Martin. Reported impacts include increased mentor recruitment, policy changes in dozens of cities regarding racial equity, and the distribution of millions in grants to community organizations through partners like the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the NBA.

Leadership and partners

The alliance is governed by a board of advisors comprising prominent figures from various sectors, including former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and business leaders like Bobby Turner. Day-to-day leadership has included executives like Michael D. Smith, who previously served in the Obama White House. Critical partners span corporate, philanthropic, and civic spheres, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, American Express, the U.S. Department of Education, and the National League of Cities. The NBA and its players association have been major supporters, funding community grants and awareness campaigns.

Criticism and challenges

Some advocates have criticized the initiative for focusing narrowly on individual behavior and mentorship without sufficiently challenging broader structural racism or advocating for sweeping policy changes like those proposed by the Movement for Black Lives. Others have noted the challenge of measuring long-term, systemic impact from a decentralized, community-driven model. The initiative has also faced the perennial challenge of sustainable funding, relying heavily on volatile philanthropic contributions rather than enduring public investment. These debates place the alliance within wider discussions about the role of public-private partnerships in addressing issues of social justice and inequality in the United States.

Category:Obama Foundation Category:Youth organizations based in the United States Category:Organizations established in 2015