In 2011, President Obama launched the “My Brother’s Keeper Foundation,” or MBK. He started this to address opportunity gaps that are faced by boys and young men to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential. The MBK administration is joining with cities and towns who are taking steps to connect the youth to mentoring and the support that they need. The MBK foundation focuses on six milestones: Getting a healthy start and entering school ready to learn, reading at grade level by third grade, graduating from high school ready for college and a career, completing postsecondary education or training, successfully entering the workforce, and keeping kids on track and giving them second chances.

President Obama has drawn attention to his foundation by using some of today’s stars. In one of his videos, he joins with Steph Curry to push the importance of mentors in the youth’s lives. In this short ad, President Obama helps Curry build a resume, beats him in Connect Four, and shows him how to correctly shoot a jump shot. In the end of the video, it says, “You don’t need all the time in the world or all the answers to be the mentor someone needs, and you don’t need to be an NBA star or President of the United States to be someone’s hero.”

Over this past weekend, the president had a few very popular artists come to the White House to talk about how to continue the MBK initiative. The invited artists include Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Busta Rhymes, Pusha T, Common, Janelle Monáe, Ludacris, Chance the Rapper, J. Cole, Wale, and DJ Khaled. A lot of these rappers are a part of MBK and are trying to help out with the crime rate and just helping out in their cities overall.

This program could help out the entire nation, if not just around our area. The amount of crime and violence not just the in the nation, but around the world, is at a very high point right now. There are arguments about why crime is at such a high rate right now, but the majority of it can all turn right around to drug use. Drug use is also at a high currently, ironic as that statement is. We all see these issues creeping in closer and closer to us everyday. If they aren’t talking about violence on the news, they talk about the smuggling of drugs across boarders, or politicians, or the “corrupt” beings in higher power. It all gets old after a while. There’s really no reason for it anymore. Rehab programs in the nation and other associations all across the world oppose crime and drug use like this, MBK being one of them. The youth is the future of our country. With them growing up in the world that it is now, it’s not looking like a very positive future.

Alliance doesn’t seem to have that many issues relating to these issues, but there have been recent instances that make you think it might be getting worse. When you look at the booking list for the panhandle, more and more drug involved arrests. There was around ten for just Alliance. Foundations like MBK and D.A.R.E. all help out with mentoring and raising the less privileged youth growing up in the United States. In town, the Teammates foundation plays a huge part in the schools and to the younger generations. They could help out a tremendous amount in the nation. Making America great again doesn’t only depend on this upcoming election, but it also depends on the younger generations.