President Obama's My Brother's My Keeper Initiative

mangudai954

mangudai954

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Here's a clip




- President Barack Obama spoke Thursday at the White House, where he announced "My Brother's Keeper" - a new initiative to help young men and boys of color succeed.

- He described the program as one that "goes to the very heart of why I ran for President" and dove into his own life to explain why such an initiative is needed, speaking candidly about his father, drugs and race.

- The new initiative will look at what's already being done to assist young men of color across the country and build on best practices.

- It's brought together foundations and businesses to pledge at least $200 million over the next five years, on top of the $150 million they have already invested.
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(CNN) – The President has a message for young minority men who grew up like he did.

"No excuses. Government, and private sector, and philanthropy, and all the faith communities, we all have a responsibility to help provide you the tools you need. We've got to help you knock down some of the barriers that you experience," he said.

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Watch “My Brother’s Keeper,” hosted by Don Lemon, tonight on CNN at 11 ET.

"But you've got responsibilities too. And I know you can meet the challenge, many of you already are, if you make the effort."

President Barack Obama spoke Thursday at the White House, where he announced "My Brother's Keeper" - a new initiative to help young men and boys of color succeed.

He described the program as one that "goes to the very heart of why I ran for President" and dove into his own life to explain why such an initiative is needed, speaking candidly about his father, drugs and race.

A White House official said Obama improvised a good portion of his remarks and was more emotional than many planners of the event had anticipated.

Read the initiative

"I didn't have a dad in the house, and I was angry about it, even though I didn't necessarily realize it at the time. I made bad choices. I got high without always thinking about the harm that it could do. I didn't always take school as seriously as I should have. I made excuses. Sometimes I sold myself short," the President said.

He compared himself to young men now who are growing up like he did.

"The only difference is that I grew up in an environment that was a little bit more forgiving. So when I made a mistake, the consequences were not as severe," the President said.

"I had people who encouraged me, not just my mom and grandparents, but wonderful teachers and community leaders. And they pushed me to work hard, and study hard, and make the most of myself. And if I didn't listen, they said it again. And if I didn't listen, they said it a third time - and they would give me second chances and third chances.

"They never gave up on me, and so I didn't give up on myself."

'Moral issue'

The new initiative will look at what's already being done to assist young men of color across the country and build on best practices.

It's brought together foundations and businesses to pledge at least $200 million over the next five years, on top of the $150 million they have already invested.

Every child deserves the same chances he had, Obama said.

"This is an issue of national importance. It's as important as any issue that I work on. It's an issue that goes to the very heart of why I ran for President, because if America stands for anything, it stands for the idea of opportunity for everybody.

"The notion that no matter who you are, or where you came from, or the circumstances into which you are born, if you work hard, if you take responsibility, then you can make it in this country," the President said.

Helping young minority men have the opportunity to get ahead, he said, is an economic as well as a "moral issue."

"It doesn't take that much, but it takes more than we're doing now," Obama said.

'Numb to statistics'

The President cited alarming statistics to drive home his point.

"By almost every measure, the group that is facing some of the most severe challenges in the 21st century, in this country, are boys and young men of color," he said.

Obama noted that if you're African-American, there's about a one in two chance you grew up without a father in the house. If you're Latino, you have about a one in four chance.

As a black student, you're less likely that a white student to read proficiently by the fourth grade and far more likely to be suspended or expelled by the time you reach high school, he said.

You're also more likely to wind up in the criminal justice system and as a victim as a violent crime.

"The worst part is we've become numb to these statistics. We're not surprised by them. We take them as the norm. We just assume this is an inevitable part of American life, instead of the outrage that it is," the President said.

"But these statistics should break our hearts, and they should compel us to act."
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It sounds like its has good intentions but what this will actually do seems to be very vague. I'll be keeping up with this to see where it goes.
 
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Sounds interesting. Would love to see some changes in my hometown because of this initiative. I can literally count in one hand the number of friends I had with a father or make figure I. Their house growing up.

A lot of my childhood friends could've done a lot better with more support at home.

I thank god and my mother everyday that I have been able to make it where I am in life.
 
So what he wants to have everyone watch each others back and make sure they are on path? Thats what I'm getting out of it
 
I'm definitely about this...We need positive influences for our younger generation.
 
I like this idea and I never thought I would see the day where the President wants to help inner city youth. I know there will be hate though
 
oidreez said:
I like this idea and I never thought I would see the day where the President wants to help inner city youth. I know there will be hate though
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Its already started.

A lot people are calling this initiative racist, and a waste of time because its going to be spent on people who need to help themselves.
 
I just glad President Obama can be "himself" in his 2nd term.  Initiatives like this and others are great. 
 
This dude is human, just like the rest of us, and that's why I rock with him :pimp: Even though I don't trust him for ****.
 
[h1]Are we for inclusion or not?[/h1]

obama-300x188.jpg

President Obama (Jason Reed/Reuters)

If you are wondering how a new initiative, My Brother’s Keeper, which would assist at-risk African and Hispanic males, is constitutional, you are not alone. This is not a situation in which there has been any finding of any discrimination (which might trigger Section 5 of the 14th Amendment, which provides, “The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article”).

Roger Clegg, head of the Center for Equal Opportunity, thinks this is flat-out unconstitutional. He writes:
It is almost always unconstitutional for the government (and any private program that receives federal money) to discriminate on the basis of race and ethnicity. There is no “compelling” interest to do so here. It may be that a disproportionate number of blacks and Latinos are at-risk, but many are not, and many whites, Asians, and others are. This is just another kind of “profiling.”

Nor will it do to say that there are other programs available for those being excluded here, as one White House official is quoted as saying. This is just another separate-but-equal argument.
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He suspects this is just another bone to his base. (“President Obama has caved in to pressure from the left — the Congressional Black Caucus and others — to do something he was generally unwilling to do up to now: Endorse a federal program that is overtly limited to those of a particular color.”) In any event, it’s insipid to suggest one’s “brother” for whom you should look after is defined by skin color or ethnic background.

It’s odd, really, that we just got through celebration of the veto of Arizona’s anti-gay legislation that would have allowed business owners to refuse service on the basis of sexual orientation – if they could show they are acting upon a sincerely held religious belief. That was Wednesday. Now on Thursday the government itself wants to exclude at-risk boys who don’t meet the racial and ethnic requirements of the program. (If it was focused on only “straight” youth, would the left be up in arms?)

Now, it is refreshing that the administration has paused from its “war on women” rhetoric to take notice that it really has been men who were hurt more than women in the recession, have worse educational outcomes than women and seem to be more affected by the absence of a father in their lives.

The problem with hyping gender and racial differences is not simply the increased resentment and divisiveness it creates but also that it uses victimhood as a political weapon. Pretty soon words like “discrimination” lose meaning. It seems you are either for an inclusive society – devoted to diminishing racial, ethnic, religious and other distinctions — or you’re not.

Like the Arizona anti-gay law, no good can come from a program that divides up the population by these categories.
 
I hope "they"(I already know which users) dont come out in this thread.I just want some positive vibes for a change.

Great idea. Imma try & get some more details on this. Seems a lil vague
 
Great that he will continue doing this even after his term as President is over.
 
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