Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Ambassador Herbert Toler III ’26 Focuses on Literacy

Herbert Toler III ’26 was recently selected as a My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Ambassador and is part of the initiative’s first-ever cohort. The MBK Alliance was launched by the Obama Foundation in 2014 in response to the killing of Trayvon Martin, who was gunned down while walking from a convenience store after being racially profiled by a member of a community watch group. According to its website, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance seeks to “address the persistent opportunity gaps boys and young men of color face and to ensure all young people can reach their full potential.”

Research has shown that support from community members and leaders, as well as public and private agencies, can lead to sustainable improvements in young men’s lives. MBK Ambassadors lead community projects and serve as role models in their communities. The MBK Alliance’s work is rooted in key life milestones that research shows are especially predictive of later success, and where interventions can have the greatest impact. Toler is focused on one particular milestone: reading at grade level by third grade. He aims to close the literacy gap in Newark, New Jersey, by urging kids to read using innovative community programming.

“I have been involved with the MBK Alliance for about a year now, and it has been a powerful experience,” said Toler. “I chose to concentrate so closely on literacy/reading because establishing it as a habit has massive positive implications for the other five milestones of development intended to close opportunity gaps for boys and young men of color.” He aims to “meet young men of color where they are and normalize a culture of ‘reading to learn’ outside of traditional school settings.

“Through this ambassadorship, I aim to empower boys and young men of color to become peacebuilders within their own communities while also expanding my understanding of leadership and social entrepreneurship by applying both the hard and soft skills I have developed throughout my four years at Vassar,” Toler said.

—Nandini Likki ’25