WASHINGTON (February 21, 2019) – Howard University student Jerron Hawkins was recently honored during the Obama Foundation’s first national My Brother’s Keeper Rising! conference by being granted the opportunity to share his social justice story on President Barack Obama’s Instagram account. Hawkins, a political science and economics double major, has been associated with the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance since its inception, in 2014. My Brother’s Keeper was launched by President Obama as a call to action to close opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color. 

In President Obama’s initial Instagram post introducing Hawkins to his millions of followers, he mentioned the power of mentoring, while investing in our young people and allowing their stories to be heard more often. 

“Today, I’m turning my Instagram account over to Jerron to tell you a little about his experience with mentorship,” the post says. “His story shows us what’s possible when we invest in our young people and show them we believe in their promise.”

Hawkins, a Washington, D.C., native, utilized the account to share the story of his experiences with the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance and his time as a White House Mentee. It was part of MBK’s initiative to showcase leaders and amplify young voices.

“This entire experience has been nothing short of a blessing,” Hawkins says. “I am proud of the story that was shared. It’s part of my life and therefore part of my existence and I am proud of who I am where I’ve came from.”

MBK Communities, elected officials and notable celebrities converged for the two-day summit, held in Oakland, Calif., to celebrate five years of progress on behalf of boys and young men of color. President Obama sat down with Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors for an honest conversation on young men being role models while investing in themselves and their communities. Hawkins was one of the dozens of young men of color who attended the event and says the conversation hit home in many ways and justified his desires to continue his progressive work.

“In a world where there’s a lot of people who hold titles, or are focused on being something, I always want to remain focused on doing something,” Hawkins says. 

The My Brother’s Keeper Alliance positions itself as the leader of a national call to action to build safe and supportive communities for boys and men of color by working with partners across all sector to encourage mentorship, reduce youth violence and improve overall life outcomes. For more information, visit https://www.obama.org/mbka/about-mbka/. 

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States.  For more information on Howard University visit www.howard.edu.

Media contact: Ramzey Smith, Office of University Communications, ramzey.smith@howard.edu