New, Explicit Focus for Obama: ‘Young Men of Color’

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama, in a relatively rare explicit mention of the race-related goals of a policy, hinted at a planned educational initiative to benefit “young men of color.”

“I’m reaching out to some of America’s leading foundations and corporations on a new initiative to help more young men of color facing tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential,” he said in remarks on efforts to offer hands-on training, give colleges incentives to offer better value and ensure that “no middle-class kid is priced out of a college education.”