In a White House ceremony last Thursday, President Obama unveiled a new program, “My Brother’s Keeper,” that would be supported by the administration but funded with foundation and corporate sponsors. The initiative is designed to identify, evaluate and help expand those programs that are working best to help young minority males – primarily black and Latino – increase their likelihood of staying in school, staying out of prison, being good fathers, and finding access to economic opportunity. Ten major foundations made commitments of $200 million over the next five years, in addition to $150 million they are already spending in this area.
In a conversation prior to the announcement I was asked by a friend who has a long history with President Obama, Joshua DuBois, what I thought the chances were of evangelical foundations and donors being a part of this initiative. I don’t know any two people more committed to the practical application of their faith than Josh and his co-worker, Michael Wear. So, I wanted to weigh my words carefully, and while being honest I did not want to be discouraging:
“I think any connection with President Obama or his administration will likely be toxic in the conservative evangelical community and the program (even with a clear Biblical reference) will be discounted at best and likely exemplified as one more effort to engage the ‘useful idiots’ both parties have tried to seduce for many years. While evangelicals have just as much interest in being invited to the White House as any other special interest group, I don’t think there is any reasonable chance this program will be supported by foundations and individuals except a few outliers.”
As I looked into the roots of the initiative it was clear that long before the President made his announcement, at least two dozen large foundations had been working for some time to answer a very specific question, “What is philanthropy prepared to do—and what should it do—in response to Trayvon Martin and the Zimmerman verdict?”
More than 50 foundation executives representing 26 major foundations had met in Chicago in April of 2013 to announce their commitment to answering this question, along with the larger question of how to best help young minority males. As well, Occupy Philanthropy convened an online conference for numerous foundation leaders in August of 2013.
These meetings led to an agreement by the foundation presidents to form a philanthropic alliance that will “strengthen the sector’s investments in greater opportunities and wellness for black males and other males of color.”
Over the last several days, I have been considering my response to Josh. Was it needlessly discouraging? Did it caricature the conservative evangelical philanthropic community? Where are the opportunities for serious conversation? After all, there are hundreds or even thousands of Christian ministries with exactly the same interests working in urban areas.
Organizations like the Christian Community Development Association, Homeboy Industries, Desire Street Ministries, Chicago Hope Academy, Lawndale Community Church, Serve West Dallas, Center for Neighborhood Enterprise and Harambee Ministries are pioneers and veterans of this work across the country. The Points of Light Foundation identified scores of ministries funded by evangelicals doing good work. WORLD magazine for years has sponsored prizes for the best work in a number of the same areas of interest.
Surely there would be some overlap among the interests of these funders and corporations and the evangelical community. What could we learn from them and what could they learn from us? Even if none of the $200 million ever found its way to evangelical faith-based organizations, could associations like CCDA and CNE have a voice in the shaping of their work? I hope so.
It was the President’s own obvious emotion and attachment to this initiative that impressed me the most. What I saw was a President far more energized by local and personal justice issues than global engagement. Clearly, the Trayvon Martin case had reached him in a way that was surprising not only to the media but, apparently, to him as well. His time with Chicago inner-city boys in the Youth Guidance program “Becoming A Man” where he shared openly about his own struggles caused him to remark later that he could see himself in those young men just as he could see himself and his own children in Trayvon Martin.
Yes, I do think “My Brother’s Keeper” is the first funded phase of what will probably become his post-Presidency focus. However, where President Clinton created and has successfully funded from similar sources the Clinton Global Initiative because he sees himself (and others do as well) as a global figure, I believe President Obama will create a local initiative because that is where he is most at home. After all, his roots are in community organizing and that requires a certain set of skills and interests that are almost purely focused on the local.
When Harry Truman left the Oval Office in 1952 he returned to his hometown of Independence, Missouri because, as he said, “this is where I belong.” Those were his roots and he lived there until he died 20 years later. I would not be surprised to see Barack Obama do something similar – to return to his roots and his home in a local community.
That is where his heart is, and I think that is where two years from now more of the evangelical community will find it easier to cooperate with him and he with them – not as President but as Community Organizer in Chief.