Hope Has An Address: Dr. Adren O. Wilson

On this week’s Hope Has An Address, we spoke with Dr. Adren O. Wilson, Vice President of Youth Opportunity Programs and Executive Director for My Brother’s Keeper Alliance at the Obama Foundation, about how MBK is creating real change for boys and young men of color.

We explored his journey into this work, the impact of MBK Model Communities, and the strategies that make this initiative so effective.

Dr. Wilson also shared how MBK stays connected to the needs of young men in challenging environments—and a powerful moment that reminds him why this mission matters.

To learn more about My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, visit Obama.org/MBK.

Listen now!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hope in the face of difficulty, Hope in the face
of uncertainty, the audacity of hope.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
I'm asking you to believe not in my ability to
bring about change, but in yours.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Yes we can.

Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hope has an address, and it starts with us honoring legacies,
overcoming barriers, pursuing justice, empowering generations.

Speaker 4 (00:24):
Welcome to Hope has an address. I'm bree would and
today we're diving into a powerful conversation about opportunity, equity,
and impact. My Brother's Keeper Alliance, launched by President Obama,
is changing lives for boys and young men of color
across the country. I spoke with doctor Adrian O. Wilson,
vice President of Youth Opportunity Programs and Executive Director for

(00:46):
MBK at the Obama Foundation to learn how this work
is transforming lives and communities. My Brother's Keeper began in
twenty fourteen as a call to action from President Obama
after the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. The mission to
an I'm sure that boys and young men of color
have clear pathways to success through education, mentorship, and community support. Today,

(01:07):
MBK is driving measurable impact across six key milestones from
early childhood education to career readiness. I started by asking
doctor Wilson about his personal journey how he became a
part of this mission to uplift young men of color.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
I got drawn to not just the work at my
Brother's Keeper, but actually the work I've done all my life.
When I think about the work my Brother's Keeper, I
also remember through that journey needing positive mail role models
to also help round me out and ensure that I
grew up to be a solid individual and a solid man.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
Next, we talked about the MBK model communities Newark, New Jersey, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Omaha, Nebraska,
and Yonkers, New York, each showing measurable success in areas
like homicide reduction, early learning participation, and graduation rates. I
asked doctor Wilson, what is impact these communities have had
so far.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
The President was clear with us that we want communities
that are driving real, meaningful, measurable change that we will
be able to demonstrate that when you have evidence based strategies,
a data inform strategy with the right investments, we can
transform outcomes for our boys and young men of color.

Speaker 4 (02:21):
With so many programs struggling to show results, MBK stands out.
I wanted to know what's the secret behind their success.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
We are working with communities that are working with mayors
and tease of police and superintendents of school district to
figure out what works. And then when they figure out
what works, our magic is we're able to connect those
leaders across communities and replicate their success.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
Communities face different challenges and needs can change quickly, So
how does MBC stay connected to what really matters for
these young men? Here's what doctor Wilson had to say, and.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
It's a part of our kind of success rule brick
that we measure certification and what it means to say
in our network.

Speaker 3 (03:04):
And there's a whole component of.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
That routbrig that focuses on youth voice and youth engagement.
So it's an expectation that young people in community are
at the table when decisions are being made and that
they're part of the solutions in their community.

Speaker 4 (03:19):
Finally, I asked doctor Wilson to share a moment that
reminds him why this mission is so important.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
I remember I went to MBK Newark about three or
four times, and in my first couple of trips, there
was just a young man that I interacted with and
he talked about for the first time in Newark, he
felt safe.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
I had a.

Speaker 2 (03:40):
Really emotional reaction to that, because in that moment, I
realized that this work is important to do, this work
is possible to do, and this work is ours to do.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
To any person listening.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
That ours is also inclusive of youth, because when.

Speaker 3 (03:59):
We do our boys throng and they.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
Leave, hope has an address and it lives in every
community where my Brother's Keeper is making a difference. Empowering
these young men today builds the foundation for tomorrow's leaders.
To learn more, visit Obama dot org backslash MVK. I'm
Breewood for the Black Information Network.