Michael B. Jordan, Victor Cruz, Ryan Coogler, Ledisi, Sybrina Fulton, and Rep. Lucy McBath to Join President Obama, Stephen Curry, and John Legend at My Brother’s Keeper Alliance National Convening

February 12, 2019 at 8:32 PM CST

CHICAGO, IL — Today, the Obama Foundation announced that Michael B. Jordan; Victor Cruz; Ryan Coogler; Ledisi; Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin; and Rep. Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, will join President Barack Obama, Stephen Curry, John Legend, and hundreds of youth and community leaders from the My Brother's Keeper Alliance for MBK Rising!, the Obama Foundation's first national MBK Alliance convening. The gathering will take place in Oakland, California, February 18-20, 2019.

MBK Rising! will bring together hundreds of young men of color and leaders from organizations in the growing network of MBK Communities to connect, learn, and share. They will join President Obama in celebrating the achievements of organizations and communities leading the way in reducing youth violence, growing impactful mentorship programs, and improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color.

MBK Rising! will begin with a day of service on February 18 organized by and in partnership with Bay Area community-based organizations, with the convening itself February 19-20. Musical performances by Ledisi and John Legend will open the gathering, at which President Obama will be joined by Stephen Curry for a town hall with young men of color. Filmmaker Ryan Coogler and actor/producer Michael B. Jordan will be in conversation about the importance of narrative and storytelling in empowering boys and young men of color and changing harmful attitudes and systems.

More information may be found here.

Mainstage sessions will be streamed live on obama.org and cover topics such as efforts to reduce and prevent youth violence, impactful mentoring, MBK Communities sparking systemic change, masculinity and the role women and girls have played in this work, perspectives from community-based leaders, and the importance of narrative and storytelling.

Other MBK Rising! speakers include:

Mainstage sessions will run at the following times and will be open to pre-credentialed media:

The event marks the fifth anniversary of the initial launch of My Brother’s Keeper, an initiative started by President Obama following the death of Trayvon Martin. My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, now part of the Obama Foundation, leads a national call to action to build safe and supportive communities for boys and young men of color where they feel valued and have clear paths to opportunity—with a focus on encouraging mentorship and reducing youth violence. The Foundation recently announced $5 million in grants to organizations across the country serving as models of evidence-based initiatives measurably improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color. The convening will be an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the years and build on this momentum.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and San Francisco Mayor London Breed are co-chairing MBK Rising!'s host committee as part of their My Brother’s Keeper Oakland and My Brother & Sister’s Keeper San Francisco initiatives.

WHO: Michael B. Jordan, Victor Cruz, Ledisi, Sybrina Fulton, Rep. Lucy McBath, Karamo Brown, President Obama, Stephen Curry, and John Legend. Additional speakers and performers on obama.org.

WHAT: My Brother’s Keeper Rising! convening, including a town hall with boys and young men of color and other mainstage sessions

WHERE: Oakland Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Dr., Oakland, CA 94612

WHEN:

Media space is limited. Members of the media interested in applying for credentials must do so here (Opens in a new tab) by February 13 at 5:00 p.m. CT. Please direct all questions to mbkrisingpress@obama.org (Opens in a new tab).

###

Contact: mbkrisingpress@obama.org (Opens in a new tab)