My Brother's Keeper and Setting Young Men Up For Success

It’s 1:30 a.m. as I hold my newborn son and I am exhausted—not just from sleep deprivation, but from the prospect of raising a son of color. As an early childhood education advocate and a Latino, I am keenly aware of how often communities of color are overlooked, and of how much work we need to do to give our children a better shot at success in life.

California this year passed a budget that includes a $273 million investment in early childhood education that will mean more high-quality experiences for more low-income children in California. The White House also committed to invest in $200 million in an initiative called “My Brother’s Keeper” that aims to address opportunity gaps faced by young men of color, including a milestone that encourages giving all children a healthy start so they can enter school ready to learn. And recently, President Obama announced a goal of enrolling six million children in high-quality preschool by 2020.

My father, a bracero farmworker, and my mother, instilled in me the importance of education for an individual and their community, so I believe in the transformative power of education. I see increasing access to early education for boys of color as a social justice issue. I was proud of California’s budget bill, and when I saw President Obama launch “My Brother’s Keeper,” it was emotional. The success of our nation depends on the success of our babies of color, but the data clearly shows a pipeline to prison for too many of our young men.

More than half of the children under age 5 in California are Latino, and by 2020 Latinos will make up nearly 75% of the workforce. Low-income children and children of color often enter school at a disadvantage, and by third grade, black and Latino children already face large achievement shortfalls in math and English-language arts. These thoughts occupy my mind as my shift ends at 2 am. I look at my son and he stares back at me with his powerful dark brown eyes that seem to ask me… will I raise him right?

Before my son was born, I was talking to my colleague about the terror I felt about having a boy. I have always only had strong women in my life—four sisters, a powerful mamá, and fierce mujer as my wife. The men in my life were not actively a part of raising me, despite being incredible providers. This, coupled with the data regarding boys of color, scared me. That’s when my colleague told me “But, Ernesto, you would be raising a boy of color!” My terror was reduced to workable fear as I no longer saw what I could not do, but the responsibility I had to my son.

By giving young boys of color—and all children—a fair shot at starting school ready to learn, we can start attacking those opportunity gaps. California has taken big step by investing in early learning, and the President’s initiative and early education agenda send a strong message, but we must do more. If we invest in early learning for our children—particularly vulnerable communities, we will see the incredible benefits for years to come: higher graduation rates, reduced crime, a well-prepared workforce, and a stronger economy. We can see young men of color achieve their dreams and realize their potential.

Ernesto Saldaña is a senior advisor for Early Edge California, an advocacy organization working to ensure all children have the early experiences necessary to be successful learners by the end of 3rd grade, setting them on a path to college and career readiness.