My Brother's Keeper Alliance
Anguish and Action
At the Obama Foundation, we work to help leaders change their world—and the world needs changing. The killings of young Black men like Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, and too many others at the hands of their fellow citizens—in addition to Black lives like Breonna Taylor’s and George Floyd’s being cut short by police—have left many of us anguished and outraged. While now is a time for grief and anger, it is also a time for resolve. Find resources below to learn what you can do to create a more just and equitable world.
When President Obama was in office, he urged Americans to find ways to confront our country’s original sin of racism and slavery in their own communities, while advancing equality in the face of injustice.
In the wake of Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012, President Obama and his administration created the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance to break down barriers and expand opportunity for boys and young men of color, while around the world, a mass movement in defense and support of Black lives took to the streets to demand change. That movement continues today, as evidenced by the activism and protests in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. But far more progress needs to be made.
If you’re looking for additional ways to create change, below you’ll find resources to learn about racism in the United States, police violence, and antiracism. You’ll also find actions you can take to encourage reform from organizations who have been working on the issues of racism and policing at the local and national level for years.
Find ways to get involved and lend support.
Tyre’s mother created this fundraiser to cover the cost of the family’s mental health services and a memorial skate park in his honor.
The Trayvon Martin Foundation was created by Trayvon’s parents, Sabrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, to provide emotional and financial support to families who have lost a child to gun violence.
Using the online portal, find ways to help families, individuals, and communities talk about racism and commit to being antiracist. (Opens in a new tab)
Find a concrete action you can take in support of Black lives every day of the week.
Explore toolkits for individuals related to healing action, healing justice, conflict resolution, and more.
President Obama: “Trayvon wasn’t so different from me.”
In recognition of the 10th anniversary of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s killing in 2012, President Obama reflected on what the teen’s death meant to him as a Black parent and as a Black man. He also shares more about the movement sparked by the tragedy, wh
President Obama Speaks at the My Brother's Keeper Alliance Reimagining Policing: Spotlighting Reforms and Progress Town Hall
Following the release of the “Reimagining Policing: Progress to Date” report, President Obama offers an encouraging message about recommitting to building communities that are more safe, more equitable, and more just for everyone who lives in them.
My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Leadership Forum: A Conversation with President Obama
As part of the MBK Leadership Forum, President Obama participates in a conversation with youth and community leaders about the unprecedented activism and action that has taken place in the year since George Floyd's tragic murder—and the importance of cont
A conversation with President Obama: Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence
President Obama joins Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, President of Color of Change Rashad Robinson, Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham, and MBK Columbus Youth Leader Playon Patrick, in a conversation moderated by Campaig
MBK Alliance Town Hall Series: Mental Health and Wellness in a Racism Pandemic
President Obama joined Congressman John Lewis, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson, writer and survivor of police brutality Leon Ford, Jr., and youth leader LeQuan Muhammad, in a conversation moderated by activis
Reimagining Policing: Police Accountability and Reforms
As the first of an ongoing workshop series to engage community leaders to address police violence, MBK Alliance Executive Director Michael Smith joined President and CEO of the Leadership Conference and The Education Fund Vanita Gupta, Co-founder and CEO
Reimagining Policing: Community-Centered Innovations in Public Safety
As the second of an ongoing workshop series to engage community leaders to address police violence, MBK Alliance Executive Director Michael Smith joined Co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, Patrisse Cullors, Executive Director of Advanceme
Reimagining Policing: How to Create a Representative and Open Public Review Process
As part of our Reimagining Policing series to engage community leaders to address police violence, Lead Organizer for the African American Roundtable at Wisconsin Voices Devin Anderson, Executive Director of the Participatory Budgeting Project and Obama F
Reimagining Policing: Insights from Black Law Enforcement Leaders on the Future of Policing
As the fourth of an ongoing workshop series to engage community leaders to address police violence, Former Deputy Assistant to President Obama for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity Roy Austin joined Charlottesville Chief of Police Dr. R
Reimagining Policing: Data in Policing: Collection, Transparency, and Civil Liberties
As the fifth of an ongoing workshop series to engage community leaders to address police violence, Center for Policing Equity Co-founder and Senior Vice President for Justice Initiatives Dr. Tracie Keesee joined University of Chicago Crime Lab Founding Ex
Reimagining Policing: The Future of Public Safety
As the sixth of an ongoing workshop series to engage community leaders to address police violence, John Jay College of Criminal Justice President and MBK Alliance Advisory Council member Karol Mason joined Trust for America’s Health Executive Vice Preside
Find the mental health care and trauma support you need.
Chicago-based Brave Space Alliance fills a gap in the organizing of and services to trans and gender-nonconforming people.
Find resources for support on coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, social unrest, and more.
Access to mental health treatment, psycho-education, and community resources to men of color.
Find clinicians of various racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as training and treatment styles.
A skills-based training course that teaches participants about mental health and substance-use issues.
The Association seeks to have positive impact upon the mental health of the national Black community by means of planning, programs, services, training, and advocacy.
Learn about police violence and antiracism in america.
Over 1,000 people are killed by police every year in America, and Black people are nearly three times more likely to be killed than White people. If you’re looking for additional ways to change these alarming rates, below you’ll find resources to learn about policing in America.
Over 300 communities—representing 13+ million Black people and including all of the 10 most populous U.S. cities—took our pledge to Reimagine Policing. This report shares highlights and next steps in building on that momentum. Get informed, get inspired, and take action today.
MBK Alliance, in partnership with the Leadership Conference and Cities United, has hosted multiple workshops for cities participating in the Reimagine Policing Pledge, which launched this past summer. These workshops are developed as a way to support each pledge city’s policy review, community engagement, and ongoing reform process.
From community activists and elected officials to civic organizations and national experts, the workshops create space for people from all sectors to learn about alternative frameworks and options for public safety and how to implement data-driven best practices to drive reform.
The recommended reforms in this report, which are intended to create accountability and build better relationships between law enforcement and communities of color, stem from President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. You can read the Task Force’s 2015 report here. (Opens in a new tab)
A six-part series of roundtables, panels, and open forums led by experts who share substantive and innovative recommendations for communities to consider as they reimagine public safety.
Connect with these organizations on the front lines of social justice.
These third party external links are being provided as a convenience and for educational and informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Obama Foundation, and the Obama Foundation bears no responsibility for the accuracy or legality of the content of the external site or subsequent links from an external site.
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