Obama Foundation launches 1st My Brother's Keeper strategy in Chicago

President Barack Obama’s legacy program to address opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color nationwide on Friday launches its first action plan to impact youth in one urban area — here in his hometown.

“We’re excited, because this action plan was built on both the work of groups and individuals that have long been rolling up their sleeves and working in South and West Side communities to stand in the breach for these boys and young men, as well as on the voices of the young men themselves,” said Michael Strautmanis of the Obama Foundation.

“Everybody talks about the violence, and we are horrified by it, but that’s just one piece. There are young men in this city playing by the rules who aren’t getting opportunities they deserve. President Obama sees himself in these young men and believes it’s our responsibility to give them those opportunities.”

My Brother’s Keeper, the program Obama initiated from the White House in February 2014, then adopted after his presidency by forming the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance in 2015 — was in 2017 brought under the umbrella of his foundation, which has been providing groups nationwide with seed grants to develop action plans tackling the plight of these youth.

Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/president-barack-obama-foundation-my-brothers-keeper-plan-in-chicago/