"My Brother's Keeper" and at-risk kids... thoughts?

[Anonymous]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/27/fact-sheet-opportunity-all-president-obama-launches-my-brother-s-keeper-

Mostly good things in there, I'm not sure I agree with all of it though.

Thoughts? Perspectives?

[Anonymous]

From the link

partnering with local businesses and foundations to connect these boys and young men to mentoring, support networks, and skills they need to find a good job or go to college and work their way up into the middle class.

Not crazy about the biblical reference but, otherwise, what's not to like? It's a crisis situation.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why the focus is only on black and Latino boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why the focus is only on black and Latino boys.

Right. They're doing just fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why the focus is only on black and Latino boys.

Right. They're doing just fine.

There are many doing fine, while many white kids are at risk. This is stupid racial discrimination. Focus on the behavior, not the race.

[Anonymous]

I'm a bit concerned about the "discipline reform" piece. I certainly agree there are better ways that discipline can and should be handled but there are a hundred ways to NOT do it. Certainly there do need to be interventions and probably things like mentoring, counseling and other supports to deal with disruptive behavior and other things, rather than just leaping to suspensions but I am a bit concerned about the evident reluctance to escalate more serious issues. When there are things like violence, threats of violence, property damage or theft - basically anything in the criminal code - those accordingly need to be dealt with in a serious manner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why the focus is only on black and Latino boys.

Right. They're doing just fine.

There are many doing fine, while many white kids are at risk. This is stupid racial discrimination. Focus on the behavior, not the race.

There are also a lot of AA and Latino girls at risk. . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why the focus is only on black and Latino boys.

Right. They're doing just fine.

There are many doing fine, while many white kids are at risk. This is stupid racial discrimination. Focus on the behavior, not the race.

There are also a lot of AA and Latino girls at risk. . .

Yes, that was my point. Completely missing the boat here. First his fatherhood initiative. Now, his brotherhood project....eventually is he planning on focusing on girls/women? We had several programs cut for at-risk girls and women and domestic violence programs.

Just sayin'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why the focus is only on black and Latino boys.

Right. They're doing just fine.

There are many doing fine, while many white kids are at risk. This is stupid racial discrimination. Focus on the behavior, not the race.

There are also a lot of AA and Latino girls at risk. . .

Yeah, and obese people are at risk. So are smokers and drug users. Women in unsafe domestic situations are at risk. And so are school teachers (maybe they should be allowed to carry guns to work). Nighttime cab drivers are at risk of crime. So are mail carriers it seems.

The point is that he selected a TARGET GROUP. That's not to say that others aren't at risk, only that he cannot take on every single risk in America. That is the specific group he targeted.

Maybe one day we'll ALL do our jobs as inhabitants on planet Earth and look out for one another. Then we can focus on the at-risk group we'd like.

So instead of whining about all the groups he's neglecting, why don't you get up off the couch and take on a group yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a bit concerned about the "discipline reform" piece. I certainly agree there are better ways that discipline can and should be handled but there are a hundred ways to NOT do it. Certainly there do need to be interventions and probably things like mentoring, counseling and other supports to deal with disruptive behavior and other things, rather than just leaping to suspensions but I am a bit concerned about the evident reluctance to escalate more serious issues. When there are things like violence, threats of violence, property damage or theft - basically anything in the criminal code - those accordingly need to be dealt with in a serious manner.

I don't fundamentally disagree, but the discipline that black boys are subject to in the educational system is, on the aggregate, harsher than other populations of students. Black boys and young men are nine percent of the total school population, but one-quarter of all physical punishments meted out in schools are to black boys and young men.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a bit concerned about the "discipline reform" piece. I certainly agree there are better ways that discipline can and should be handled but there are a hundred ways to NOT do it. Certainly there do need to be interventions and probably things like mentoring, counseling and other supports to deal with disruptive behavior and other things, rather than just leaping to suspensions but I am a bit concerned about the evident reluctance to escalate more serious issues. When there are things like violence, threats of violence, property damage or theft - basically anything in the criminal code - those accordingly need to be dealt with in a serious manner.

I don't fundamentally disagree, but the discipline that black boys are subject to in the educational system is, on the aggregate, harsher than other populations of students. Black boys and young men are nine percent of the total school population, but one-quarter of all physical punishments meted out in schools are to black boys and young men.

"Physical punishment?" What is this, 1950, when the principal had a paddle?

As for your statistics, you are assuming the numbers should be commensurate, but studies show that there are significantly greater rates of violence and aggression among at-risk African American youth than among most other youth demographics. It's not as though most of the kids receiving discipline are sitting there sweetly, innocently, quietly and attentively following the teacher's direction to the letter, only to be singled out and sent to the principal for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a bit concerned about the "discipline reform" piece. I certainly agree there are better ways that discipline can and should be handled but there are a hundred ways to NOT do it. Certainly there do need to be interventions and probably things like mentoring, counseling and other supports to deal with disruptive behavior and other things, rather than just leaping to suspensions but I am a bit concerned about the evident reluctance to escalate more serious issues. When there are things like violence, threats of violence, property damage or theft - basically anything in the criminal code - those accordingly need to be dealt with in a serious manner.

I don't fundamentally disagree, but the discipline that black boys are subject to in the educational system is, on the aggregate, harsher than other populations of students. Black boys and young men are nine percent of the total school population, but one-quarter of all physical punishments meted out in schools are to black boys and young men.

"Physical punishment?" What is this, 1950, when the principal had a paddle?

As for your statistics, you are assuming the numbers should be commensurate, but studies show that there are significantly greater rates of violence and aggression among at-risk African American youth than among most other youth demographics. It's not as though most of the kids receiving discipline are sitting there sweetly, innocently, quietly and attentively following the teacher's direction to the letter, only to be singled out and sent to the principal for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

There is plenty of evidence that when white and black boys engage in the same behaviors, they receive very different discipline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a bit concerned about the "discipline reform" piece. I certainly agree there are better ways that discipline can and should be handled but there are a hundred ways to NOT do it. Certainly there do need to be interventions and probably things like mentoring, counseling and other supports to deal with disruptive behavior and other things, rather than just leaping to suspensions but I am a bit concerned about the evident reluctance to escalate more serious issues. When there are things like violence, threats of violence, property damage or theft - basically anything in the criminal code - those accordingly need to be dealt with in a serious manner.

I don't fundamentally disagree, but the discipline that black boys are subject to in the educational system is, on the aggregate, harsher than other populations of students. Black boys and young men are nine percent of the total school population, but one-quarter of all physical punishments meted out in schools are to black boys and young men.

"Physical punishment?" What is this, 1950, when the principal had a paddle?

As for your statistics, you are assuming the numbers should be commensurate, but studies show that there are significantly greater rates of violence and aggression among at-risk African American youth than among most other youth demographics. It's not as though most of the kids receiving discipline are sitting there sweetly, innocently, quietly and attentively following the teacher's direction to the letter, only to be singled out and sent to the principal for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

Very true. The fact that this program or the need for it is actually being debated is making my head spin!

The REASON black men fill prisons at an alarming rate, have a sky high unemployment rate, have a higher rate of drug/alcohol abuse, are have babies without supporting them, drop out of school at higher rates, etc. stems from a past where they were made to feel inferior, had rights taken away and were subjected to systematic and targeted rules to ensure a bottom feeder position. Come on folks, my parents went to a black only high school and had to use the old middle school books from the white kids who were 4 years younger. Once they graduated, there were no jobs for them (because they were black and not educated as well as white kids). I experienced difficulty in school with parents who did not understand how to help me and had no money to hire tutors. Education was and remains unequal. Black boys are incarcerated far more than any other group for the SAME offenses. There are cases all the time citing the unfairness... no question there. The court system was and remains unequal. Black boys were made to sit in back of buses, use different fountains, were hung... not too long ago folks and the scars are still there. We see the effects of this today.

But here's what REALLY gets me upset...

Instead of saying "Oh my goodness, how could we let this happen to this group of young boys. Most of them can't read at grade level. Most of them drop out of school. Most of them do not have fathers. Most of them have a parent or parents who got little to no education. Most of them are suffering psychologically and have low self esteem. We need to DO SOMETHING."

You question a program to help these kids who have obviously not be given what they need since the cycle repeats.

YET... I recently read a post on DCUM talking about the unfortunate deaths of a few high school kids over the past 4 years. Someone said it was an epidemic and we have to do something!

I do want to help everyone (especially kids) BUT I'm sick of people ACCEPTING that black boys are suppose to drop out of school, kill each other, go to prison FAR MORE than any other group.

And you know what... President Obama said that there are some programs that are WORKING!! That means there's a solution to the problem. Yes, a solution! One that doesn't even require tax payer money. That means that you don't have to pay for it.

So, why did this thread arise that questions this program???

Unbelievable. This is the lowest level I've ever seen DCUM go and it's been pretty low.

[Anonymous]

^ the above post was suppose to quote this:

There is plenty of evidence that when white and black boys engage in the same behaviors, they receive very different discipline.

NOT what is above it.

[Anonymous]

As worthy a cause it is, i think it made a clear demarcation between the "I'm actually the President" phase and the "1000 points of light," kickstart-your-post-Presidential-foundation phase of the Obama presidency in context of pretty much every major legislative area falling off the table ahead of what the Rs think will be a Senate victory, etc., etc.

All that said - it would be great to see a figure like President Obama spending time on shaping culture for the better. We need everything from education to encouragement to unwind the vicious cycles so many people are in. I'll take it.