On January 20, the City Council adopted a resolution to support President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” (MBK) Community Challenge, an idea brought forth by Councilmembers Rex Richardson, Lena Gonzalez, Roberto Uranga and Al Austin, according to a statement from the City of Long Beach. The Challenge, issued by the White House last year, asks that City leaders organize a Local Action Summit within 45 days of accepting the Challenge.
On Thursday, March 5 at 6:00PM at Ernest McBride Park, the public is invited to attend a Local Action Summit to brainstorm and discuss ideas for achieving positive life outcomes specifically for youth. The Summit will give the community a chance to address the needs of our City’s young ones.
According to the release, the event will also approach how to prepare youth mentally and physically to start school, how to have them reading at their grade level, and how to ensure their graduation from high school and have the opportunity to attend postsecondary education, successfully enter the workforce and remain safe and sound from violent crime.
“Long Beach is proud to accept the White House Challenge to build a ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ Community and be able to make a difference in the lives of all young people,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “Ensuring that our youth have the support and tools they need to succeed is one of the most promising investments for the future of our City.”
According to the release, the organizations that will work with the City to achieve the goals of the MBK Community Challenge will include the Safe Long Beach Violence Prevention Plan (Safe Long Beach), which incorporates several existing programs for engaging youth, including the California Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Program (CalGRIP), the Long Beach College Promise, and the Long Beach Unified School District Male Academy. The 61 existing community-based and faith-based organizations in the City that offer mentorship and support services for boys and young men of color will also assist with the initiative.