After a career in manufacturing, not-so-retiree Gene Brown has found his purpose.
Early this year he took on the local leadership of My Brother’s Keeper, a national initiative dedicated to improving life outcomes for boys and young men of color. A ceremony to mark the passing of the torch from Portage County MBK founder Brad Cromes was held in late May.
Launched in 2024 by President Barack Obama and still led by the Obama Foundation, MBK’s 250+ nationwide alliances address opportunity gaps and foster community support. Brown’s goal is to build brighter futures for all of Portage County’s youth.
His focus is on tutoring and other educational outreach work at Ravenna High School. Brown listed six milestones for Portage County’s MBK Alliance: entering school ready to learn; reading at grade level by third grade; graduating from high school; completing post-secondary education or training; successfully entering the workforce; and keeping youth safe.
Next week MBK will roll out Book a Pizza, a summer reading program for kids from third grade through high school.
Registration will continue throughout the summer at Skeels-Mathews Community Center, King Kennedy Community Center, Reed Memorial Library, and Gioninio’s Pizzeria in Ravenna. MBK volunteers will help each child or teen obtain a library card so they can check out and read books.
After completing a book, participants must submit a written, verbal or online book review. In return, the youths will receive a cash card good for one pizza from Gionino’s Pizzeria. MBK is also giving each child a T-shirt, and the chance to win a coupon good for a movie and popcorn at Ravenna 7. A pizza party is set for the end of the summer.
The book report is part of Brown’s push to gauge the effectiveness of MBK’s programs. What works will continue, and what doesn’t work will be tweaked until it does.
Brown is also recruiting retired teachers and KSU students to tutor and mentor middle school and high school boys.
“A lot of times, we will talk with a student, and they will face challenges, not necessarily academically, but just perhaps setting them up with a job interview. Knowing how to go into a job interview or just having a person to talk to, sometimes it’s beneficial,” Brown said. “We catch them in seventh grade, we’ll follow them all the way through. Sign them up with a mentor.”
The adults will be trained and found through Big Brothers and Sisters of Portage County, one of MBK’s many collaborators.
Also on deck is an African American book program at Reed Memorial Library. It’s aimed at boys of color, who Brown believes miss out on opportunities later in life. He plans to expose them to HBCU schools, prepare them for college entrance exams, and even take them on college visits.
“I’m seeing that our young kids, particularly our African American men, face challenges they may not be exposed or ready for. That is a passion of mine: to prepare them for the real world, whether it’s work, college or a job,” Brown said.
Axess Family Services (formerly Family & Community Services of Portage County) provides MBK with an office and administrative support, and offers its network of services to young men who come to MBK’s attention. NAACP of Portage County has contributed a coloring book that summer reading program participants will receive.
Helping to ensure MBK’s success are over a dozen nonprofit, police, educational and county organizations. Local elected officials inch toward shifting public policy. Nonprofits try to upscale their services. Area entrepreneurs commit tangible resources to supporting youth and creating targeted hiring strategies.
One of those entrepreneurs is Jermaine Justice, owner of Gionino’s Pizzeria and other Ravenna buildings and businesses. He sees donating small pizzas as baby steps toward a much bigger goal. He eventually hopes to sponsor scholarships to college, trade school or short term certificate programs.
“The reason I got into My Brother’s Keeper, it’s more or less about hope and having dreams that you can follow. Dreams do come true as long as you work towards that goal,” he said. “I feel like as long as you stay focused on what you really believe in, and you work towards it, you can really accomplish anything you want.”
After dropping out in tenth grade and becoming a father at 19, Justice knows something about struggle. He did not let those struggles limit him, and he hopes other challenged youths will take his lead, one pizza at a time.
Justice envisions tickets to pro ball games and other rewards for having accomplished even small goals. The end game, he said, is to build a little bit of hope and a feeling of being seen and valued.
“The more you expose them to things, the more they might see, and the more they might want out of life. But if you don’t see, you don’t know,” he said.
Also serving on MBK’s board are F&CS Divisional Director Brian Higgins, interim MBK head and current county treasurer John Kennedy; and community organizer Frank Hairston, who also served as interim head after Comes left for his current position as Cuyahoga County treasurer. None have particular titles.
Mark Frisone, executive director of AFS, recalled Cromes approaching him to ask if the nonprofit would sponsor MBK Portage County. The answer was yes.
“Look at what it does,” Frisone said “There’s a definite need in our community for that program.”
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.