Throughout his tenure at the White House, President Obama has reached out to young people whose struggles, there but by the grace of a good family and an excellent education, could have been his. In his State of the Union address last month, the president hinted at a forthcoming initiative "to help more young men of color facing tough odds stay on track and reach their full potential."

On Thursday, he will unveil a program called My Brother's Keeper, developed in partnership with leading foundations, businesses and other groups. The goal is to provide opportunities for "every young man of color who is willing to work hard and lift himself," said a White House official, and implement "strategies that are proven to get results." Those strategies will be shared with the public so others can replicate them in their communities.

"The administration's outreach for this event has been months in the making. It has been bipartisan and far-reaching beyond philanthropy — to include Republican elected officials, some of whom are working on criminal justice reform, faith leaders and corporate leaders," the official said.

In addition to foundation and community leaders and corporate executives, members of the Chicago-based group Becoming a Man will also attend the event. Several members of the group visited with the president at the White House last year for an early Father's Day celebration. Obama also participated in a private mentoring session with several boys in the program during a trip to Chicago.

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Follow Joyce Jones on Twitter: @BETpolitichick.

(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)