Thirteen years ago Timothy Roberts Sr. sought to curb the influx of street-related violence in the city of Cleveland by creating a male mentoring program aimed at young African American men. With the acronym B.R.I.C.K. which stands for Brotherhood, Respect, Intelligence, Conduct and Knowledge, Roberts’ organization has helped steer almost 1,000 young black men in northern Ohio away from a life of crime.
A former Cleveland police officer and star quarterback at the University of Kentucky, Roberts is helping troubled men reach their potential by getting them involved in community outreach programs, as well as providing counseling via mentors. Notable past B.R.I.C.K. members include 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and independent recording artist Basheer “Da Truuf” Jones. “I feel extremely blessed that God has given me the opportunity to lead these young men in a way which He sees fit for me to take them,” says Roberts.
Roberts is currently working with city officials to create more initiatives to bridge what he calls the “achievement gap” for black youth of Cleveland, which includes a program geared toward ninth grade boys. Along with creating more programs, Roberts is also looking to one day expand B.R.I.C.K. into a global force.
[With programs like this] we save Cleveland, we save northeastern Ohio,” he says. “We save our country and our world by educating our young men and giving them role models that they can take the lead from and go out here and make a difference in our world.”
