Explanation
This resolution declares the City of Columbus’ support for the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Task Force’s Youth Perspective Report & Next Step Recommendations.
On February 27, 2014, President Barack Obama launched My Brother’s Keeper to expand opportunities for boys and men of color. In September 2014, President Obama issued a national challenge to cities, townships, tribes and counties to create and implement “cradle-to-college-and career strategies” to address two of the six following challenges:
• Ensure that children enter school cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally ready;
• Ensure children read at grade level by the third grade;
• Ensure youth graduate from high school;
• Ensure youth complete post-secondary education or training;
• Ensure youth out of school are employed; and/or
• Ensure youth remain safe from violent crime.
On December 1, 2014, the Mayor hosted its first MBK Community Forum, attending by nearly 400 community stakeholders. In May 2015, the Mayor and City Council formed the MBK Task Force to focus on workforce development, and community violence and safety. Four youth summits were hosted at Linden-McKinley STEM 7-12 High School, West High School, South High School, and Walnut Ridge High School to gather information on the needs of the City’s boys and young men of color.
The resulting recommendations are:
• The City should appoint a key person in the Mayor’s Office to lead and oversee the City’s My Brother’s Keeper efforts;
• The City should promote the need to enhance the capacity of HandsOn Central Ohio, Columbus’ 2-1-1 centralized information and referral system, so that it can serve as the city’s one-stop shop that connects residents with the existing programs and service they need, when they need them;
• The City should convene service providers working in the following spaces to identify and implement ways they can better work together to support the success of African American male youth and other: (a) education; (b) personal development, health and self-governance; and/or (c) relationships and community;
• The City should proactively include the youth voice in policy and decision-making, as well as program and event development and implementation;
• The City should use data to establish short- and long-term goals to measure the success of African American male youth.
Title
To endorse and support the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative’s Youth Perspective Report and Next Step Recommendations.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus accepted President Barack Obama’s challenge to explore closing the opportunity gap and expanding opportunities for boys and young men of color through the My Brother’s Keeper initiative; and
WHEREAS, the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force has studied the issues of workforce development, and community violence and safety as barriers to happy, health and productive lives for Columbus’ boys and young men of color; and
WHEREAS, the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force has engaged hundreds of male youth of color to discern what barriers exist, how they can be addressed and what support can be given to provide greater opportunities; and
WHEREAS, the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force prepared and adopted a final draft of the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative’s Youth Perspective Report and Next Step Recommendations on October 14, 2015; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus is asked to commit its will and resources to closing the opportunity gap faced by boys and young men of color; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. The My Brother’s Keeper Youth Perspective Report and Next Step Recommendations is hereby adopted to establish guidelines for planning, programming and funding.
SECTION 2. That all City of Columbus departments and divisions are hereby authorized to use the My Brother’s Keeper Youth Perspective Report and Next Step Recommendations in initiating or reviewing projects that fall within its general purview.
SECTION 3. That the Mayor’s Office and City Council are directed to monitor the use of the My Brother’s Keeper Youth Perspective Report and Next Step Recommendations.
SECTION 4. That copies of the My Brother’s Keeper Youth Perspective Report and Next Step Recommendations shall be kept on file in the City Clerk's office.
SECTION 5. The Clerk is hereby directed to transmit a certified copy of this ordinance to the White House as a sign of the City of Columbus’ acceptance of President Barack Obama’s challenge to cities, villages, towns and tribes to close the opportunity gap faced by boys and young men of color.
SECTION 6. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.