About MBK-Tulsa
My Brother’s Keeper addresses persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color to ensure all youth can reach their full potential. This nationwide, non-partisan effort was launched in 2014 by President Obama and the work continues as the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance, an initiative of the Obama Foundation. The MBK Alliance focuses on building safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear pathways to opportunity.
MBK-TULSA'S Mission
MBK Tulsa convenes and supports proximate youth, caregivers and cross-sector organizations to implement a data-based approach to create systems change, focused on improving outcomes alongside boys and young men of color.
MISSION+VISION
MBK-TULSA'S Vision
All boys and young men of color in Tulsa are supported in their community from cradle to career absent from institutional barriers that impede their path to opportunity.
The Challenge
Our country’s persistent social inequities are widespread, rooted in structural and institutional racism, and prevent our boys and young men of color from reaching their full potential.
The Opportunity
The data showcases the dire need for interventions in support of BYMOC. In the Tulsa area, BYMOC consistently lag behind their counterparts in key measures such as college completion, discipline, suspensions and expulsions, third grade reading proficiency and eighth grade math. These inequities in education also have economic consequences. The need to act is urgent, as having just 5,000 boys and men of color who are disconnected from opportunities can cost between $256.7 million and $323.8 million yearly and between $4.7 billion and $5 billion over their lifetimes. If Tulsa is to have a thriving city where all youth succeed and contribute to our city’s future, it is imperative that we take action locally to improve outcomes for boys and men of color.
Year 1 Success
My Brother’s Keeper has been engaged in transformative work over the past 12 months, galvanizing community, family, youth and institutions to formulate solutions to address the opportunities presented through the daunting data. In step with the national MBK Alliance strategy, we have established focus groups, working groups, and facilitated opportunities for our underestimated population of youth.
Join A Workgroup
Parents/caregivers and interested community members may still express interest in joining a workgroup for either Milestones 1 or 2 workgroups by clicking the links below.
MILESTONE 1
Getting a Healthy Start and Entering School Ready to Learn
Parent/Caregiver Interest FormFor more information about the milestones, click here.
MBK Youth All-Star Council
Set your sights on better opportunities and join My Brother’s Keeper-Tulsa Rolodex. The MBK Youth All Stars is for young men of color aged 13-22 residing in the Tulsa area, attending a Tulsa area middle, high school or college who are interested in developing their leadership skills and leading transformation in their community. These young men should be lively, friendly, collaborative with other students and adults, interested in advocating for themselves and their communities, have a strong sense of commitment and can consistently attend monthly meetings and programming (up to 4 hours a month). Join the MBK Youth All Stars Rolodex for exclusive opportunities to attend events, access MBK Swag, submit your ideas, and much more.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact the MBK program manager at curcio@impacttulsa.com.
MBK -Tulsa Team
Ambassador Table
MBK Youth All Star Highlights
My Brother’s Keeper, in partnership with PGA Works hosted 40 young men of color at the “Beyond the Greens” career exploration day at Southern Hills. The event showcased a diverse range of careers from Meteorology, Sports Media, to Landscaping in a billion dollar Professional Golf industry. Read the recap below to learn more about this event.
Our very first cohort of the MBK Youth All Stars is underway at McLain High School of Science and Technology. These young men participate in an experiential opportunities to shift power and ownership, and make real decisions that will transform their life, and the lives of boys and young men of color in the city of Tulsa. This team is the start of a new age of youth transformation in Tulsa – one that is informed and created with the insights of boys and young men of color at the center.
The All Stars also participating in a national competition “Invent2Prevent”, focused on addressing targeted violence and hate on school campuses and in their community.
My Brother's Keeper Tulsa + American Heart Association
ImpactTulsa’s MBK initiative is teaming up with the American Heart Association (AHA) for their Voices for Healthy Kids initiative. Voices for Healthy Kids works in cities around the country to improve or create equitable policies that will make the places kids live, learn and play healthier.
The Advocacy Impact Pilot aims to:
1) Support long-term, an equity-centered local policy change that improves the health of children and their families while transferring power and building capacity.
2) Fund organizations to collectively advance policy issues identified by the community and led by these communities.
3) Invest in community-led solutions to address health inequity and structural racism.
We are excited to partner in awarding four nonprofit organizations a grant from the American Heart Association to advocate for the improvement or creation of healthier food options or mental health policies in schools.
The awarded organizations are:
- Heathy Minds Policy Initiative
- Harrison Hope
- Hunger Free Oklahoma
- Teach Not Punish
MBK, along with local American Heart Association’s Voices for Healthy Kids funded organizations were afforded the opportunity to attend the annual summit on the Tamayan Pueblo in New Mexico, outside of Albuquerque to build skill in advocating for children and families in underserved communities.
