Development of Boys and Young Men of Color: Implications of Developmental Science for My Brother's Keeper Initiative and commentaries

B oys and men of color (BMOC) are at significant risks for poor outcomes across multiple domains including education, health, and financial well-being with little promise of improvement in the near future. Out of concern for this situation, President Obama instituted the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative (MBKI) to enlist the combined resources of federal, state, and local governments as well as human services, philanthropy, and business sectors. This Social Policy Report describes MBKI and summarizes ideas gleaned from developmental science that may be useful in efforts to reach the MBKI goals of school readiness, competent reading by third grade, high school and college completion, successful entry into the work force, and reduction of violence. Policy recommendations are offered along with suggestions for research that might involve developmental scientists in this effort. Author’s Note We would like to thank members of the Boys of Color Research Collaborative for their insightful comments and helpful suggestions for improving this report especially Iheoma Iruka, Emilie Smith, Natasha Cabrera, Aline Hitti, and Sheila Davis.