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President reaches out to youth of color

On Thursday, the president plans to announce a program to address the challenges faced by youth of color. 

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On Thursday, the president plans to announce a program to address the challenges faced by youth of color. 

The main challenge that the program called "My Brother's Keeper" attempts to tackle is the disproportionate incarceration rates of young Black and Latino males in the United States. Rather than identify problems in the justice system, the president's program will invest in finding solutions to social issues that young men face through research and private programs.

In a January interview with the New Yorker, President Obama expressed his concern that "poor kids" are more likely to be incarcerated for the same crimes committed by "middle-class kids."

"African American kids and Latino kids are more likely to be poor and less likely to have the resources and the support to avoid unduly harsh penalties," the president said.

Among the challenges that young Black men face is joblessness. Last month's unemployment numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that while unemployment remains high among all 16 to 19 year olds, the rate for Black youth in that age group is twice the rate of their white peers, a trend that continues in the 20 to 24 year old age group.

Among his other programs, the president recently announced a "Promise Zone" initiative to address poverty in areas across the country. Critics argued that the program uses federal dollars to address small symptoms of poverty rather than investing in long-term solutions.

The president is planning to announce the "My Brother's Keeper" program this Thursday with more details. 

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