Dozens of college bound Black male youth from the San Francisco Bay area celebrated at unique Graduation Ceremony
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Oakland, CA (BlackNews.com) — Dozens of college bound black male youth and nearly 250 community members gathered at the Oakland Museum of California on June 8 for the Mitchell Kapor Foundation’s College Bound Brotherhood Graduation Celebration.
Golden State Warriors‘ Assistant Coach Lloyd Pierce keynoted the unique ceremony, which honored 65 graduating high school seniors headed to colleges and universities throughout California and the U.S., including Stanford University, the University of California at Merced, Morehouse College, Howard University, Columbia University, and many more.
“It is important that all young males better position themselves academically for whatever future possibilities may come their way,” Pierce said. “We have to support our youth in accomplishing and attaining their social and economic goals. Doing so not only will set them up for success, it also will have a big impact on our communities.”
The event is part of the Kapor Foundation’s College Bound Brotherhood program, which aims to change a grim statistic: college graduates earn twice as much as those with only a high-school diploma, yet only about one out of seven black male students who graduate from high school in the San Francisco Bay Area are college ready. Nearly half of California’s black male students do not graduate from high school.
“Our goal is to reinforce a college-going culture among young black male students,” said Cedric Brown, CEO of the Kapor Foundation. “College education is a crucial vehicle for economic and social mobility. We are celebrating the achievements of young black men who are defying the odds and are on their way toward creating change for themselves, their families, and our communities.”
Since the program’s launch in 2008, the Kapor Foundation has distributed nearly $1 million in grants to organizations that support young black men through college readiness workshops, college tours, academic coaching, mentoring, and much more. The Foundation is accepting requests through June 15 for $25,000 grants to community organizations working on college readiness for young black men. For more information on how to apply, please visit mkf.org.
“Statistics for African American males in Oakland and nationwide are daunting,” said Regina Jackson, executive director of the East Oakland Youth Development Center. “With high school ‘drop out’ and high jail and prison ‘drop in’ rates, a college-bound culture is more necessary than ever. The Kapor Foundation’s strategy to bolster that culture – by building connections, providing resources, and celebrating achievements – is working here in the Bay Area.”
The College Bound Brotherhood program also has launched a public, online database that assists youth, parents, and educators in locating college readiness programs in the Bay Area (collegeboundbros.org). In addition, the program provides continued support for grant recipient organizations, parents, and young men through conferences, local workshops, and leadership opportunities.
About the College Bound Brotherhood Program:
The College Bound Brotherhood is a program of the Mitchell Kapor Foundation that seeks to expand the number of young black men in the Bay Area who are prepared for a college education. The program works to strengthen the college-going culture for young black men; build a college access movement for organizations focused on the enrichment of black male youth; and provide resources to build stronger, more effective organizations. Since the founding of the Brotherhood program in 2008, the Kapor Foundation has distributed nearly $1 million in grants to 25 San Francisco Bay Area organizations. For more info, visit www.mkf.org.
