WASHINGTON — Taking on a cause close to home that has resisted improvement during his term, President Obama joined with former Mayor Mike Bloomberg and other officials Thursday to launch a nationwide effort to help young minority men overcome obstacles to success.
“There are some Americans who, in the aggregate, are consistently doing worse in our society — groups that have had the odds stacked against them in unique ways that require unique solutions,” Obama told a gathering in the White House.
Obama launched the new Brother’s Keeper initiative, which includes $200 million in pledges from private foundations, on the same day that Mayor de Blasio’s administration moved against charter schools.
Bloomberg declined to criticize his successor directly for the move, joking, “I really am not familiar with what’s going on in New York City — I’ve been traveling a lot.”
But when pressed, he delivered a stirring defense of charters. “I think the charter movement is one of the most important things in this country,” Bloomberg said.
“When you have a charter school that doesn’t work, we should close it down. But when you have charter schools that work, that’s the pathway to success for kids who otherwise would never be able to break out.”