Message from our ceo

Our team has been deeply dismayed, yet not surprised, by the recent reversal of Affirmative Action. The SCOTUS decision was announced just a few days before Brothers@ held its first National Ambassadors Convening in NYC for 80 of our 100 rising college freshmen (including all of our new students from Oakland, Chicago and Dallas.) Brothers@’s work is already designed to address the implications this decision will have for young Black and Latinx students aspiring to attend highly selective colleges and universities across the country, but the ripple effect of this decision—and the precedent it sets—is more far-reaching than just Higher Ed. Before Brothers@ was launched in 2018, Brothers@Bard began as an initiative of Bard College in 2014, inspired largely by our individual and collective experiences and challenges that young Black and Brown men—us—and other YMOC attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWI’s) faced across the country. We know first-hand how an institution’s demonstrated commitment to Diversity, Equity and Belonging—or lack thereof, can impact college enrollment, admissions, and drop-out rates among students of color. 

I saw college as a pathway to social and economic mobility—I left home bearing the responsibility to change the trajectory of my family, end cycles of poverty, and make a change in my community. And I did. But only by my brothers and I creating a program for ourselves to give and receive the support we needed and that most institutions don’t know how to provide. Affirmative Action aimed to level the playing field by considering race as a factor in college admissions. Without this policy, young people of color will face increased difficulty in gaining admission to prestigious institutions, further perpetuating the already deep-seated educational disparities in our U.S, institutions of Higher Education. The SCOTUS reversal of Affirmative Action will have broader societal consequences. By limiting opportunities for young people of color, this decision will perpetuate existing social and economic disparities. Without access to quality education, individuals from marginalized communities are likely to face increased challenges in securing well-paying jobs—thereby perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. If institutions truly aim to address the inequity present in most predominantly white institutions of Higher Education, they must ask their students “how can we better serve you,” rather than attempting to make themselves feel better about the services they already provide which are rarely sufficient…

As a national youth development & advocacy organization dedicated to helping young men of color (YMOC) get to and through college, Brothers@ continues to do the work of dismantling barriers to their academic achievement; we continue to ensure that YMOC aren’t just supported on the road to college, but that they find their place, purpose and passion as they make it through; and we continue to help our young people foster a real sense of community on campus and a true sense of ownership over their undergraduate journey. But the reality is, it’s just not enough. We were never the problem—and while many in the field of Higher Ed may attempt to improve racial equity, diversity and inclusion at institutions, we’re seen as a problem for the institution to fix long before we’re admitted, when in reality, we’re the ones that end up having to fix the institution. We’re asking institutions to help us help them better support our students.

I’ve read a lot of statements..but have seen very few commitments. This is not a call to action for us. It’s yours. It has to be. Draw the line in the sand. Yes—the work we are leading at Brothers@ is more important than ever. That’s as true as it is cliche to say. As a national youth development & advocacy organization dedicated to helping YMOC get to and through college, Brothers@ continues to do the work of dismantling barriers to their academic achievement; we continue to ensure that YMOC aren’t just supported on the road to college, but that they find their place, purpose and passion as they make it through; and we continue to help our young people foster a real sense of community on campus and a true sense of ownership over their undergraduate journey. But the reality is, it’s just not enough.

100 YMOC are on their way to different colleges and universities across the country..maybe yours. But as our organization continues its expansion into other cities to advance the academic and socioemotional outcomes for YMOC nationwide, we need colleges and universities across the country to come to the table—work collaboratively with us as well as each other—with the urgency and intentionality this issue requires of them. In other words: we've been doing this work long before this moment, now we need you to answer the call and be a part of this movement.