Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said his Wednesday morning looked different than usual. Rather than spending it in his office or a courtroom, he was at the Indiana University Northwest Anderson library.
“It’s good to be here today talking to all of you, I truly mean that,” said Carter, who’s also chairperson for the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance in Lake County. “If you put hard work in, you’re going to succeed. … Success is not found, it’s made.”
Leaders throughout Northwest Indiana met at Indiana University Northwest on Wednesday for the convening of Lake County’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. The convening brought together community partners who are focused on advancing educational outcomes for Black boys and young men throughout the region.
The event included multiple talks, including from My Brother’s Keeper partners, and breakout sessions dedicated to teaching parents, educators and students about various ways to support students and give them better opportunities. The alliance also recognized graduating high school seniors.
Breakout sessions focused on the group’s six milestones for success: entering school ready to learn, reading at grade level by third grade, graduating from high school, completing postsecondary education or training, successful employment, and remaining safe from violent crime.
Michael McGee, founder of the Project Outreach and Prevention, or POP Foundation, was in charge of a breakout session focused on remaining safe from violent crime. In his session, McGee taught attendees about the POP Foundation’s mission and what they can do to protect themselves and those they love.
“We are in a society where you can’t get into a simple beef or a little fight,” McGee said. “Now, you have to worry that if you lose, they come at you with a gun, or if you win, they’ll still come at you with a gun.”
Gun violence impacts people no matter what situation they’re in, McGee said, and he encouraged young people to think about that when they’re in heated arguments or environments.
McGee told attendees that gun violence is the top killer for Black men ages 10-34 years old. In addition to talking about prevention methods, McGee and Corey Walden, another representative for the POP Foundation, taught attendees how to “stop the bleed” in life-threatening situations, including how to apply pressure, wound packing and tourniquet application.
“As a young man growing up, I got into fights,” McGee said. “I’ve been shot at three times, but even with that, I’ve been able to continue on my trajectory and pathway into medicine. … No matter where you start, it’s not where you end.”
My Brother’s Keeper was created by the Barack Obama Foundation to provide better opportunities for young men of color nationwide, according to its website. The Obama Foundation created My Brother’s Keeper after the death of Trayvon Martin in February 2012, and the group has locations nationwide that advocate for education and childcare.
Thirteen high schools participated in Wednesday’s convening, including East Chicago Central, Hammond Central, Lake Station and West Side Leadership Academy.
“We know that the barriers contributing to social inequities for boys and young men of color have been well-researched and well-defined,” said Arrick Jackson, IUN chancellor. “The data is clear, and this is precisely why the work of My Brother’s Keeper here in Lake County matters so deeply.”
Danita Johnson Woods, CEO of Edgewater Health, also expressed the importance of My Brother’s Keeper during Wednesday’s convening. If community partners come together, youth throughout the region will have better resources and more support, Johnson Woods said.
“Our goal is to bring everybody together so that we’re moving in the same direction,” she added. “We are incredibly proud of how far we’ve come. This has been a long journey.”
