In The Know

Stephen Curry, John Legend to join Obama for young men of color mentorship program

NBA star Stephen Curry and singer John Legend will join former President Obama to speak at the first gathering for the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance (MBK), a program aimed at supporting youth violence prevention efforts and mentorship for young boys and men of color.

The Foundation announced Tuesday that Curry and Legend would join Obama in Oakland, Calif., later this month for the event, dubbed MBK Rising.

According to a news release from the Foundation, the gathering will last from Feb. 18-20, convening hundreds of boys and young men of color, as well as organization leaders in MBK communities, “to connect, learn, and share.”{mosads}

“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,” the Foundation wrote.

The Foundation wrote that the event marks the fifth anniversary of the launch of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which Obama started following the death of Trayvon Martin. Martin, a black Florida teenager, was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in 2012.

“The convening will be an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the years and build on the momentum of those seeing success,” the Foundation wrote in its release.

Other speakers for the event include Ben Carlton, co-founder and national fellowship director of the BMe Community; Rev. Wanda Johnson, CEO of the Oscar Grant Foundation; Karol Mason, president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice; Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, and Shawn Dove, the CEO of Campaign for Black Male Achievement.