The oral history project of New York State’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative took place in the Summer of 2022. A group of 10 MBK fellows undertook a participatory research project to study MBK, an intergenerational “brotherhood”, “community” and “movement”. These youth researchers explained My Brother’s Keeper as pivotal to their development as leaders in their respective communities. The resulting testimonies document the significance of financial and human investments of care and mentorship to both youth of color, and the adults tasked with guiding them on the path to adulthood. The fellows designed this project based on their expertise in their own experience, creating the questions, identifying the interviewees, producing the testimonies and analyzing the data. The resulting archive is a remarkable portrait of a state funded initiative that nurtures young men of color. As the MBK fellows confront and transcend historic and contemporary obstacles, they “lift as they climb”.

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