Obama invites top black celebs to Oakland to help empower young men of colour

Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s signature programme, My Brother’s Keeper, is advancing with its mission to empower black boys and young men of colour as it readies to organise its first national convening in Oakland later this month.

The My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance Summit, slated for February 18-20, has been dubbed MBK Rising! and it coincides with the fifth anniversary of the My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative Obama started after the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Martin is the African-American teenager whose shocking death gave rise to the BlackLivesMatter Movement.

The highlight of the California event, which will be attended by over a hundred young boys and men, is that the former president will be joined by NBA superstar, Steph Curry and singer, John Legend.

Curry, who is a member of the Golden State Warriors, teamed up with Obama in 2016 for a video as part of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative.

He and his teammates recently met with Obama in Washington following their NBA championship.

The “All Of Me” singer, Legend, is also a staunch supporter of Obama and even performed at the White House during Obama’s presidency.

“I see my younger self in these young men—full of talent and possibility but unsure where to go and uncertain that their dreams mattered to their community or country,” said Legend. “That’s why I’m proud to be part of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.”

He further said that he would be interviewing Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, as well as, other families who have lost their children under unfortunate circumstances.

According to the Obama Foundation, the upcoming MBK event will “celebrate the achievements of organizations and communities leading the way in reducing youth violence, growing impactful mentorship programs, and improving life outcomes for boys and young men of colour.”

The event, which will have in attendance other prominent speakers, including the growing network of MBK Communities, will also include a town hall with Obama and Curry.

“Mainstage sessions will also cover masculinity and the role women and girls have played in this work and the importance of narrative and storytelling,” reports The Beat DC.

President Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper in February 2014 to address “persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of colour and to ensure all youth can reach their full potential.”

The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK Alliance), which was inspired by My Brother’s Keeper, was launched in 2015 to scale and sustain the mission, according to Southern California GrantMakers.

MBK Alliance, in 2017, became an initiative of the Obama Foundation. Within the Obama Foundation, MBK Alliance leads a cross-sector national call to action focused on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity.