'My Brother’s Keeper': Obama confronts obstacles facing young men of color (+video); Christian Science Monitor, 2/27/14

Linda Feldmann, Christian Science Monitor; 'My Brother’s Keeper': Obama confronts obstacles facing young men of color (+video) :

"On Thursday, he will focus on the challenges of young black and Latino men when he unveils “My Brother’s Keeper” – an initiative named for a biblical phrase he uses regularly, conveying a belief that society must help those facing challenges. It aims to keep young minority men out of what is often called the “school-to-prison pipeline.”...

“Not only does the president personally identify with many of the challenges these young men face – as a man of color himself, whose life was not always on the right track, and the son of a single mom who at times depended on food stamps to get by – but he also, as president, sees the larger picture,” Jarrett said in a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

Obama will sign a memorandum establishing the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, a federal interagency effort to be chaired by Broderick Johnson, assistant to the president and Cabinet secretary. The task force will identify best practices and how to expand upon them; how federal policies and programs can best support these efforts; and how to involve state and local officials, the private sector, and philanthropies more effectively.

The task force will also create an administration-wide “What Works” Web portal to publicize successful programs."