Atlanta Mayor relaunches program to help young men of color
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Thursday announced that the city is recruiting 100 volunteers to mentor boys, ages 6 to 14, who are currently on a waiting list.
“We all know someone who is living in a single-family household, a young boy who just needs the voice of a man,” Bottoms said during an interview on 88.5/WRA S-FM.
Bottoms said the call for volunteers is one of many initiatives she planned to announce that are part of the city's relaunching of the My Brothers Keeper program.
Bottoms asked that anyone interested visit the city's website at atlantaga.gov/mentomentorschallenge to begin the screening process.
The My Brother’s Keeper program was launched in 2014 with the sponsorship of President Barack Obama to address a persistent lack of opportunities for young men of color.
Bottoms said she attended a My Brother’s Keeper conference in Oakland, Calif., recently where leaders recognized that cities across the country needed to relaunch the program partly because it hasn’t received as much attention since Obama left office.
In the past, the city has participated in a My Brother’s Keeper program with Fulton County.
“But as the capital city of this state, I think its important that we be very visible and that we lead this effort in a way that’s reflective of who we are as a city,” Bottoms said.
