Ten years of commitment to New Rochelle’s youth culminated on May 12 as the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative celebrated its 10th anniversary and the prestigious certification from the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance of the Obama Foundation. The celebration, held at New Rochelle High School’s Whitney M. Young Auditorium – the program’s birthplace – underscored a decade of community-led efforts transforming lives and fostering opportunities.
Superintendent Dr. Corey W. Reynolds opened the program, recalling the vision articulated by then-President Barack H. Obama in 2015: the need for targeted support for young men, especially young Black and Brown men, grounded in universal tenets for success. These core principles, which guide MBK’s work, include: entering school ready to learn; reading at grade level by 3rd grade; graduating from high school on time; completing post-secondary education or vocational training; employing all youth; and keeping youth safe from violent crimes and granting a second chance.
Founding member and City Court Judge Jared Rice reflected on the program’s origins. “This was a labor of love. We did a local action summit 10 years ago, bringing together different groups of stakeholders and figuring out what we wanted to do with these milestones. From there, we came up with multiple action plans. A lot of people really wanted to do this challenge.”
New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert attended the event with City Council member David Peters, another founding member, and City Council colleagues Shane Osinloye and Matt Stern.
Mayor Ramos-Herbert noted the program’s resolve through challenging times. “The spirit of New Rochelle remains unbroken. We are here today, as living proof of our collective resilience, strength, and determination, because we are One New Rochelle. We extend our deepest and most sincere gratitude to the hundreds of volunteers, community stakeholders, non-profits, businesses, and community members who have poured their time and passion into the mission of MBK.”
The celebration also highlighted the success of the My Sister’s Keeper (MSK) initiative, an important offshoot supporting girls and young women. “We are all branches in the tree of life. Branches are leaders and pillars in our community, whose reach extends far and wide to impact the lives of others, said CSDNR Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services Dr. Gail Joyner. “To our Queens, and our Kings, as you continue to extend your reach, know that you are smart, you are unique, you are loved, and you are enough.”
The evening was a vibrant display of school and community pride, with leaders presenting graduating seniors with MBK and MSK stoles, and attendees were treated to the Trifecta Steppers dance team, student vocal and musical performances, and a reading by Poet Laureate Harmony Hopwood. The evening was festive and joyous for all. In the end, MBK Program Coordinator Nate Adams inspired the group with closing words.
“Someone knows the story of your very first step. All of our first steps were very different. But the goal was to walk. Everyone’s pathway to success is going to look very different. But what makes the difference is the support we had around us. Some of us might have fallen and bumped our heads. Some of us might have fallen but got caught because we had so much support around us that they wouldn’t allow us to hit the ground. But the truth is that all of us eventually took our steps,” said Adams. “So what we need today in our community is a little more support for some of our students taking their steps toward the journey of life. It’s going to look different for all of us. But most importantly, we as a community must all stand up.”
The NewRO MBK program is one of just 15 of the more than 250 communities nationwide that took up the MBK challenge to earn certification from the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance of the Obama Foundation. Congratulations, NewRo MBK! We look forward to the next 10 years and more!
About MBK NewRO: My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle (MBKNewRo) is a unique partnership between the City of New Rochelle and the City School District of New Rochelle and is supported by more than 80 community partners and 120 volunteers. The City School District of New Rochelle oversees the initiative. In April 2015, New Rochelle became the first community in Westchester to implement President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which is designed to lift all children and young adults, particularly boys and young men of color. Today, more than 250 cities and towns across the country have joined the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, with the hope of closing opportunity gaps for children and young adults of color from birth to age 24.
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