A new White House program with a biblical name -- My Brother's Keeper -- enlists foundations and companies to test ways of supporting at-risk young minority men. Those allies have pledged $200 million over the next five years for projects to keep more African American and Latino boys in school and out of the criminal justice system. "Data shows that boys and young men of color, regardless of socio-economic background, are disproportionately at risk throughout the journey from their youngest years to college and career," says a White House fact sheet about the initiative.

President Obama says he wants "to help more young men of color, facing especially tough odds, to stay on track and reach their full potential so that America can reach its full potential. . . . Fifty years after Dr. [Martin Luther] King talked about his dream for America's children, the stubborn fact is that the life chances for the average black or brown child in this country lag behind by almost every measure and are worse for boys and young men." (See video below.)

Those working with the federal government include Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company founded by the former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star, McDonald’s, the Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the National Basketball Association. These supporters and others will study programs that work well in some cities and states and figure out how to expand them nationally. Examples include an intensive tutoring and guidance effort in Chicago, a Miami program to reduce school dropout rates and a Los Angeles push to reduce school suspensions.

President says: "The group that is facing some of the most severe challenges in the 21st century, in this country, are boys and young men of color." – Feb. 28 White House event

Columnist writes: "This will not be easy. . . . But we must start somewhere." – Charles Blow, New York Times

Program name’s origin: In Genesis, a part of the Bible, Cain says: "Am I my brother's keeper?"