'My Brother's Keeper' Begins Education, Community Safety Initiative

Rockford is taking on a challenge from the White House to address “opportunity gaps” faced by young black men. The “My Brother’s Keeper“ initiative kicks off this afternoon with a community forum. 

Last year, President Obama challenged communities to develop stronger paths to success for all young people. Some of Rockford’s leaders have signed up for the My Brother’s Keeper challenge, focusing on education and violence prevention.

Deryk Hayes is community development manager for the Rockford Housing Authority and one of the organizers. He says it's time for people to start talking out their problems instead of shooting or fighting.

Hayes says there are a number of organizations in the city dealing with these issues: My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) is intended to connect and strengthen those efforts.

The meeting runs from 1 to 5 p.m.  in Kresge Hall at Riverfront Museum Park.

From the White House website:

The six goals of the challenge are:

• Ensuring all children enter school cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally ready
• Ensuring all children read at grade level by 3rd grade
• Ensuring all youth graduate from high school
• Ensuring all youth complete post-secondary education or training
• Ensuring all youth out of school are employed
• Ensuring all youth remain safe from violent crime

Community leaders can lay the groundwork for an MBK Community in four steps:

1. Accept the President’s Challenge
2. Convene a “Local Action Summit” to build an MBK Community
3. Conduct a policy review and form recommendations for action
4. Launch a plan of action, next steps and a timetable for review