Investing in Boys and Young Men of Color - Models of Success

Mayor Ras Baraka and the MBK Newark team attended MBK Rising!, the first national convening hosted by the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, last month in February. MBK communities and supporters from across the country gathered in Oakland, CA to celebrate this growing national movement launched five years ago by President Obama.

We thank the Victoria Foundation for graciously co-sponsoring the MBK Newark Delegation's participation.

For this issue, we bring you insights about this exciting and growing movement and place the spotlight on programs, big and small, successfully serving boys and young men of color.

Also, do not miss the release of the Newark Kids Count 2019 report on March 28th, 2019. This year’s data book features a special section on the state of boys and young men of color in Newark as a result of our partnership with Advocated for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). We're hosting a youth led panel discussion with Mayor Ras Baraka, Superintendent Roger Leon, and Aisha Glover, President & CEO Newark Alliance. More details below.

Let us know what you think!

With gratitude,

The MBK Newark Team

info@mbknewark.org

Call/Text: 973-594-6295

MBK Communities & Supporters From Across the Country Gather in Oakland at MBK RISING!

Mayor Baraka addressing over 200 youth from across the country on February 19, 2019

Jason Grove, Policy Advisor for Mayor Ras Baraka

Mayor Baraka Addresses & Inspires Over 200 Youth from Across the Country

Mayor Baraka speaks over 200 youth from across the country at MBK Rising!. View his speech from our Facebook page . Quamiir Trice wrote a reflections piece about how Mayor Baraka's words impacted him.

Jason C. Grove, Policy Advisor Mayor Ras J. Baraka, spoke about his experience at the conference and a number of leaders from Newark present shared what they had to say:

“It was a honor to attend the MBK Rising in Oakland, CA. It was highlighted by President Obama’s attendance and continued message of support for boys and young men of color across the United States. The conference provides critical insight on solutions that seek and deconstruct oppressive systems. The ability to engage and build with others MBK community leaders and advisory board members was especially significant. MBK Newark has a national support system with limitless growth potential. “

"Collaboration is key to community building and community healing. It was an honor and a privilege to attend the MBK Rising summit as a presenter with my fellow Pan Hellenic brothers, mentoring leaders and narrative changers. Together, and out of our silos, we are creating a new way forward to create brighter pathways for the young men we serve via group mentoring. We are MBK Rising from the Bricks to the Bay."

Stephen Powell

Chief Programs & Partnerships Officer

National CARES Mentoring Movement

“It was truly an honor to be in Oakland for MBKRising! I was inspired by the people I met and the stories that we shared. Oftentimes, we understand 'hope' and 'change' in the abstract - as towering ideals, or even falsehoods. But the people who gathered at MBKRising! demonstrated 'hope' as tangible, reaffirming its presence in ourselves, our children, and our work in the community. As a result, I left Oakland reminded that 'change' was not only a possibility but a reality - one that has not and will not come inevitably, but through communion and collective action.”

Jared Boone

Assistant Dean of the Middle Division

St. Benedict’s Preparatory School

Town Hall with President Barack Obama and Steph Curry

Reflecting on What We've Learned: The Final Words of MBK Rising! With Karamo Brown

Reflecting on What We’ve Learned: Quamiir’s Session at MBK Rising!

Fmr. President Obama, Steph Curry Host Students From Across The Country

Jared Boone's Interview with KPIX CBS SF Bay Area News Station

A Case Study on MBK Houston's Collaborative Efforts to Improve the Lives of Boys and Young Men of Color in Houston, TX

My Brother’s Keeper Houston: Lessons Learned

In 2014, Houston accepted the My Brother’s Keeper Challenge and held a Local Action Summit in November of 2014. Director Williams and his team assemble a broad range of stakeholders in the city into work groups to produce the local action plan.

This report documents lessons learned and how MBK Houston built and sustained itself, useful knowledge for other localities that have either already taken up the My Brother’s Keeper Challenge and are solidifying their efforts or that are seeking to do so. All major MBK Houston stakeholders, 32 in total, were interviewed for this report.

To learn more, read and download the full report . Also, check out this interview with Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston, TX who speaks about how this work is personal for him.

The Omega Leadership Institute (OLI) Developing the Next Generation of African-American Male Leaders in New Jersey

Since 2013, Brothers of Omicron Chi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. support boys and young men of color ages 13-18 from Union County and Central New Jersey develop real-world leadership skills. They serve a new cohort of about 35 young men in the Spring.

The program accepts boys and young men from Newark. To learn more, download this one-pager.

The Omicron Chi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. established The Omega Leadership Institute (OLI) to provide college bound African-American males (13-18 years old) in the Union County and Central New Jersey region with the encouragement, leadership skills, and support to make meaningful contributions to their communities.

OLI conducts a 10-week program in the Spring, administered and self-funded by the members of Omicron Chi chapter. OLI has experienced tremendous growth from year to year, quadrupling the number of young men served since its first cohort in 2014.

Through the intensive leadership development sessions, the OLI exposes student participants to higher education and includes motivational speakers, leadership exercises, small group sessions, interactive workshops, and access to business professionals and community leaders. The program accepts boys and young men from Newark.

To learn more, volunteer as a speaker, or make a donation to their scholarship program, contact Bro. Byron Wad, Social Action Chair at blward6@aol.com or visit www.ques-ox.org/ .

How are you serving boys and young men of color? Let us know!

Public Impact's Report on Newark Opportunity Youth Network and their Collective Approach

Re-engaging Disconnected Youth: Highlighting the Work of Newark Opportunity Youth Network

Public Impact recently released a report on re-engaging disconnected youth from a Newark perspective, highlighting Newark Opportunity Youth Network. This report details the work of Newark OYN in meeting its mission to support disconnected youth.

Report: Public Impact: Conrad Fisher, J. & Kim, J. (2018). Newark Opportunity Youth Network: A collective approach for transforming lives and schools. Chapel Hill, NC: Public Impact; and Newark, NJ: Newark Opportunity Youth Network.

Download the Report

Newark OYN was established to support disconnected youth and transform the way they are educated and prepared for postsecondary learning, careers, and life. Their mission is three-fold: (1) establish exceptional, world-class public schools and education programs for disconnected youth that harness their intelligence and positive energy; (2) prove young people can achieve positive postsecondary outcomes despite overwhelming odds; and (3) Change public policies that inhibit their success.

There were many lessons learned. This report defines OYN's key practices that drive their success:

Success comes with a common vision. Though Newark OYN leaders and partners represent diverse perspectives, they all share a common vision that the lives of opportunity youth can be changed. This common vision unites their differences and motivates their collaboration.

Youth benefit when adults work together. Early indicators suggest that coordinating youth services through a systematized re-engagement process and strengthening those services through targeted technical assistance leads to not only more effective services, but more efficient service delivery.

Opportunity youth need a new and different school experience. The reality for most of these youth is that there were many systems that failed them, including the traditional school setting. This fact makes it very important not to set them up for more failure, but to give them a different experience through modified relationships in the schools, a different school design that meets youth where they are, and their individual empowerment.

Opportunity youth respond to role models that are relatable and who authentically believe in them.

Khaatim Sherrer El, Managing Director, My Brother’s Keeper Newark was quoted, “Including youth voices in decision making and policy making is something Newark OYN does really well. Youth voice matters in the way we think about solutions, and it’s this engagement that helps young people to tell their stories and think about solutions.”

Newark OYN was showcased for convening a school discipline workgroup during the 2016-17 school year, consisting of both students and representatives of key institutions such as Newark OYN’s partner organizations, local churches, the NAACP, Rutgers Law School, New Jersey’s Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, and the American Civil Liberties Union. This workgroup along with student and stakeholder focus groups informed the proposed changes to the district discipline policy to reduce the rate of students leaving school permanently. From this, the NPS school board ratified a new discipline policy in August 2017 that went into effect in the 2017-18 academic year.

You can download and read the full report here .

ACNJ 2019 Kids Count Report Offers Special Section on the State of Boys and Young Men of Color in Partnership with & MBK Newark

Newark KidsCount Release 2019 in Partnership with MBK Newark & ACNJ

Thursday, March 28,2019 9:00 AM EDT

Good data drives smart decisions. That is the goal of New Jersey Kids Count, part of the national KIDS COUNT® network. Published annually since 1997, Newark Kids Count tracks key trends in child health and well-being in New Jersey’s largest city.

We're excited to announce that this year’s data book features a special section on the state of boys and young men of color in Newark. This has been a great partnership between Advocated for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) and My Brother's Keeper Newark.

On Thursday, March 28, we’ll have a youth led panel discussion with Mayor Ras Baraka, Superintendent Roger Leon, and Aisha Glover President & CEO Newark Alliance.

Unfortunately, registration is closed and the event is sold out. However, we will be live-streaming the event. Register for the waitlist to get information about the live-stream event.