Indy's "Your Life Matters" Action Plan Heads to White House

Indiana Black Expo, city officials and other partners unveiled a strategic action plan Tuesday for the "Your Life Matters" initiative, which is aimed at improving the lives of young African American men.  

The project launched a year ago, when Mayor Greg Ballard accepted President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Challenge.  The initiative, which is being led by Indiana Black Expo, is now outlining specific actions, programs and community partners needed to improve the lives of young African American men in Indianapolis.  Lena Hackett, president of Community Solutions was in charge of creating the road map.

"The plan is across issues of health, mentoring, education, employment and criminal justice and reentry with the theory being that if all of those things are working in a positive direction that there won’t be a disadvantage with this targeted population anymore," Hackett said.

She said that a number of community organizations have already stepped up to lead the separate levels of the action plan and that programs could start as early as next month.

The strategic plan will be presented to the White House Wednesday. 

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