Meet Ernest Brown

Ernest Brown, a Philly native and reformed hustler, recently kicked off the annual Basketball Skills camp through his Building Up The Youth organization.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ernest Brown.

Hi Ernest, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My organization is called Building up the Youth, where I provide mentoring and other activities to kids that consist of all backgrounds and include girls and boys. I was a kid who grew up in Philadelphia and been in the streets doing illegal things since I was 15 up until the age of 38. The street life was all I knew so I lived by that code. I did a number of years in jail for my illegal activities. I moved to Sicklerville and had my son, which made me start thinking about changing my life. I was at a church basketball league one day, and a kid came over and I asked me could I teach him a basketball. I said yes, and on Saturdays, we started meeting up and next thing you know, more and more kids started showing up. I live in an underserved community, so these kids started telling me what they’re going through, and I related because I was one of them. 

Eventually, I started helping these kids out with money I didn’t have. I was borrowing money from people, knowing I couldn’t pay it back, but I was going to make sure these kids had a haircut, nail is done school supplies, and much more. I drive a trash truck and I deliver food for GrubHub so one day, I was picking up Chic Fila trash can and the owner of the particular restaurant came out and we started talking and he became interested in my story and what I’m doing in the community. He started telling me I needed to take this further and get my 501c3 because I’m good at what I do. About four months ago Chic Fila gave me a van for my organization that has over two hundred thousand miles but I was like yes, I’ll take it. My organization along with the people in my community somehow someway gave 60 kids Chromebooks for school. Last Christmas we gave over 100 families Christmas gifts and much more. I’m so passionate about what I do because I was one of these kids. These kids also help keep me straight because I still go through it, but I realize I got to stay on a straight path so they can stay believing in what I tell them. My community page on Facebook is called Building up the Youth and my website, which just came to life three weeks ago, is www.buildinguptheyouth.org.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s still a struggle because with everything going on in the world, I got to make sure kids get alone with each other no matter the color of their skin. I also got to find ways to secure donations to make sure I can help kids in and out of my community and I also eventually want to do this full time.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I drive a trash truck for Bloom Services and I also deliver food for Grubhub. I specialize in giving people hope because I always tell the truth no matter what. I’m becoming very known for what I’m doing now with the Youth. Every Saturday, I have a camp outside that kids come to have fun and also stay in shape from the personal trainer who helps me. I’m so proud of the way I turned my life around and how I opened my mind up to things I never thought would happen like having a police officer as one of my closest friends who name is Matt Gibbons and the first person who took notice to what I was doing and started talking about me to everyone and her name is Nikki Thompson. I’m also proud to have so many parents believe in me to trust me with their children. What sets me apart from others is I’m hands-on. I get phone calls from parents two in the morning that their kid is acting up, and I go see what’s going on. Parents also put me on the kid’s emergency contact list. Also, I actually lived the life, so my story is real. I didn’t have to read a book.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
My view on risk is trust. I was skeptical about girls being in the group, but one young lady told me it’s not fair girls can’t join, and I agreed. So I have girls in Building up the Youth now and their parents truly trust me. I’m a black man and also have white females in the group, but the parents trust me to the fullest. With everything going on in the world at this moment, that means a lot to me.