TOLEDO, OH – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Michael D. Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Cabinet Affairs for My Brother’s Keeper at the White House, helped launch the White House’s “My Brother’s Keeper” program in Toledo today. The local initiative helps prepare students for college and career readiness. Brown and Smith joined community leaders and a group of Toledo-area mentors and mentees during the launch at Waite High School.  

“Ohio is losing future doctors, engineers, teachers, and entrepreneurs because of an opportunity gap,” said Brown. “My Brother’s Keeper is about building strong children, who will grow into the leaders of the future, and who won’t be bound by a society that has too often been set up to hold them back.”

“We’re thrilled to see Toledo step up and commit to the goals of My Brother’s Keeper,” said Smith. “Toledo is one of nearly 250 communities nationwide that have accepted the MBK Community Challenge and are working tirelessly to tackle inequity and expand opportunity for our children in greatest need.”

The local My Brother’s Keeper initiative will work to connect male students of color with community leaders through mentoring relationships and educational events. This program is aligned with the White House’s My Brother’s Keeper national initiative and its goal to ensure that all youth receive a quality high school education and graduate with the skills and tools needed to advance to postsecondary education or training.

“I cannot think of a better cause than one that focuses on saving our boys and young men.  I grew up without a father and understand the challenges of not having a strong man in my life during my formative years.  I feel honored to be associated with this critically important initiative,” said Dr. Willie McKether, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Toledo, who has helped lead the effort to launch the My Brother’s Keeper initiative in Toledo.

In September 2014, President Obama issued a challenge to cities across the country to become “MBK Communities.” This challenge represents a call to action and encourages communities to implement a coherent cradle-to-college-and-career strategy for improving the life outcomes of all young people to ensure that they can reach their full potential, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or the circumstances into which they are born. Nearly 200 mayors, tribal leaders, and county executives across 43 states and the District of Columbia have accepted the MBK Community Challenge.

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; and
  • 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.

Before the launch event, Brown convened a roundtable of mentors and mentees to discuss efforts to build and expand the mentoring program in Toledo.

Brown has been a champion of the My Brother’s Keeper program in Ohio. He led the efforts to launch local My Brother’s Keeper initiatives in Cleveland, Akron, and Canton. He also highlighted existing programs in Dayton and Columbus in the fall of 2015 with Broderick Johnson, Chair of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force.

Individuals who are interested in learning more or participating in the Toledo My Brother’s Keeper effort should visit University of Toledo’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion website here. 

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