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photo by steed media service
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President, The Amer-I-Can Program
Retired Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown has worn
many hats throughout his illustrious career. An accomplished actor and
social activist, Brown has always sought to connect with young people
across the country that have yet to realize their true potential. In
fact, as president of The Amer-I-Can Program, Brown empowers youth and
continues to keep an ear to the street in hopes of nipping societal
woes in the bud.
“Since 1988, we’ve been working with street
gangs and changing lives and saving lives every day. Some of these men
are killers. They’ve been to jail, they have no fathers and they have
no understanding of the outside world, so [helping them] has been my
No. 1 goal since the ’70s,” says Brown. “I’m very happy to say that a
lot of these young men and women have changed their lives and are
changing the lives of others.”
Both a mentor and stoic role model to the young black athletes in the
NFL, Brown wants the players to enjoy their well deserved success;
however, he also wants them to remember that they, too, share the
responsibility of setting positive examples for those who look up to
them.
“A lot of kids are dying every day and there are things that [the
athletes] could do that they’re not doing,” he explains. “But until we
[as fathers and elders] take advantage of the fact that we can educate
and [help too], then how can we blame [younger athletes] for their
ignorance?” – jason thompson