Take the My Brother’s Keeper challenge

I hope you have been able to follow developments in the city’s involvement in My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge (MBK), a White House-issued challenge accepted by the city to implement programs and policies to improve life chances for boys and young men of color. It is an initiative on which the city has focused for several months. 

One portion was a youth survey asking boys and young men of color their preferences for the focus our efforts should take. More than 200 youth took the survey and shared their ideas and opinions. I cannot emphasize enough the value of the information survey participants provided. 

Although we asked broad questions on how we can solve complicated social problems and remove barriers to opportunities for our boys and young men of color, our youth exceeded our expectations, sharing thought-provoking ideas, personal experiences, and even making some policy recommendations of their own.

Through the surveys, we gained great insight into places where our Madison community could use improvement and identified our two focus areas: ensure all students graduate from high school, and ensure all children and young people remain safe from violent crime and receive second chances.

I was joined earlier this summer by Madison School Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham, Judge Daniel Koval, Police Chief Michael Koval, District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, Sheriff David Mahoney, Alder Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, Dr. Ruben Anthony, Dr. Jerlando Jackson, Dr. John Odom, and Mr. Everett Mitchell, on behalf of UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, to release the My Brother’s Keeper Madison Report and Recommendations for Action and unveil the MBK Madison Community Pledge. I am grateful for the partnership of these individuals, the organizations they represent, and many more who have made MBK a priority.

While the City of Madison and our MBK partners are committed to fulfilling the two goals selected by our boys and young men of color, we cannot do it alone. We are asking that Madisonians sign on to the MBK challenge via the pledge.

The pledge is simple; we are asking community members to take action and join in on the MBK initiative. From taking time to volunteer and mentor youth of color to simply working to change one’s thought processes, there is something for everyone. Join me in taking the pledge on our website at www.cityofmadison.com/mayor/programs/my-brothers-keeper/ and encouraging your friends and colleagues to do the same. Stay well.